This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. Abstract Background: Racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States are consistently underrepresented in genetic research. Large-scale public participation is required to ensure discoveries from precision medicine research are applicable to everyone. To evaluate views toward and facilitators of participation among minority populations in the United States, we conducted a systematic review of literature. Methods: Six databases were searched for articles published from 2005 to 2018 assessing minority populations' views and/or willingness to participate in genetic research. A thematic framework was applied to extracted data to synthesize findings, and the Socio-Ecological Model was used to evaluate papers. Results: Review of 2,229 titles and abstracts identified 27 papers (n = 8 qualitative, n = 19 quantitative). Themes included knowledge of genetics, engagement in research, facilitators and barriers to participation, and cultural considerations.Understanding of genetics was low, yet the majority of participants were willing to participate in genetic research among all populations included in the literature (range: 57%-97%). Recommendations for research included utilizing communitybased participatory approaches, evaluating participants' informational needs, incentivizing participation, and providing direct benefits (e.g., genetic test results). Conclusion: Results could influence future study designs that incorporate all levels of the Socio-Ecological Model and better meet the needs of underrepresented groups, thereby ensuring precision medicine research findings are applicable to all.
K E Y W O R D Sgenetic research, precision medicine research, racial/ethnic minorities, research participation strategies
Reducing postharvest losses (PHLs) of food crops is a critical component of sustainably increasing agricultural productivity. Many PHL reduction interventions have been tested, but synthesized information to support evidence-based investments and policy is scarce. In this study, PHL reduction interventions for 22 crops across 57 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia from the 1970s to 2019 were systematically reviewed. Screening of the 12,907 studies identified resulted in a collection of 334 studies, which were used to synthesize the evidence and construct an online open-access database, searchable by crop, country, postharvest activity and intervention type. Storage technology interventions mainly targeting farmers dominated (83% of the studies). Maize was the most studied crop (25%). India had the most studies (32%), while 25 countries had no studies. This analysis indicates an urgent need for a systematic assessment of interventions across the entire value chain over multiple seasons and sites, targeting stakeholders beyond farmers. The lack of studies on training, finance, infrastructure, policy and market interventions highlights the need for interventions beyond technologies or handling practice changes. Additionally, more studies are needed connecting the impact of PHL reductions to social, economic and environmental outcomes related to Sustainable Development Goals. This analysis provides decision makers with data for informed policy formulation and prioritization of investments in PHL reduction.
This study involved a thorough examination of attitudes and opinions of agricultural researchers toward open access publishing and data sharing. Utilizing the results of the Ithaka S+R Agriculture Research Support Services project, we reanalyzed our institutional interview transcripts and synthesized information from the project's publicly available reports. For comparison, we also searched and coded scientific and library literature. Our findings reveal common attitudes related to open access publishing and data sharing and point to potential roles for libraries to help address common impediments, such as lack of trust, time, and money. Overall, this study provides disciplinary context that can inform how librarians approach agricultural researchers about open access publishing and data sharing.
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