A tool to assess sex-gender when selecting health research projects

Tomás, Concepción; Yago, Teresa; Eguiluz, Mercedes; Samitier, M.a Luisa; Oliveros, Teresa; Palacios, Gregorio Pérez

doi:10.1016/j.aprim.2014.05.010

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In other words, there is currently a lack of standards by which to assess whether and to what degree researchers are rising to the challenges of sex and gender integration. One notable attempt to reconcile this gap is offered by Tomas et al [ 43 ], who have developed a questionnaire that allows reviewers to distinguish between three levels in assessing the strength of sex/gender integration in a project. However, this tool is limited to yes/no answers, namely whether sex/gender has been considered at a given stage in the project or not, which does not allow either reviewers or researchers to evaluate the relative quality of sex/gender integration throughout the project.…”

Section: Next Steps: Evaluating Sex and Gender Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating and evaluating sex and gender in health research

Day

Mason

Lagosky

et al. 2016

Health Res Policy Sys

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Both sex (biological factors) and gender (socio-cultural factors) shape health. To produce the best possible health research evidence, it is essential to integrate sex and gender considerations throughout the research process. Despite growing recognition of the importance of these factors, progress towards sex and gender integration as standard practice has been both slow and uneven in health research. In this commentary, we examine the challenges of integrating sex and gender from the research perspective, as well as strategies that can be used by researchers, funders and journal editors to address these challenges. Barriers to the integration of sex and gender in health research include problems with inconsistent terminology, difficulties in applying the concepts of sex and gender, failure to recognise the impact of sex and gender, and challenges with data collection and datasets. We analyse these barriers as strategic points of intervention for improving the integration of sex and gender at all stages of the research process. To assess the relative success of these strategies in any given study, researchers, funders and journal editors would benefit from a tool to evaluate the quality of sex and gender integration in order to establish benchmarks in research excellence. These assessment tools are needed now amidst growing institutional recognition that both sex and gender are necessary elements for advancing the quality and utility of health research evidence.

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Section: Next Steps: Evaluating Sex and Gender Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating and evaluating sex and gender in health research

Day

Mason

Lagosky

et al. 2016

Health Res Policy Sys

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The metrics address the limitations we have identified in the few existing decision-making aides for reviewing proposals [ 15 – 18 ], providing benchmarks for excellence in sex and gender integration as well as an assessment scale for evaluating quality. To the best of our knowledge the closest comparable evaluation strategy is offered by Tomás et al’s questionnaire, which allow reviewers to order proposals into three “levels” of integration: “difference by sex” (basic research that disaggregates findings by sex), “gender sensitive” (research that looks at the impact of gender differences on health), and “feminist research” (research that addresses health inequalities).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We began by compiling existing guidelines and tools for sex and gender integration. A selected bibliography was developed of 19 sex and gender integration resources that our group had previously used in our capacity as a women’s health research knowledge translation and exchange centre [ 1 , 18 – 35 ]. This initial bibliography was then presented during a 2-day meeting of our research team.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These checklists do not include an assessment scale, and thus can only record the presence or absence of sex/gender considerations. Similarly, Tomás et al’s 10-item questionnaire, Gender Perspectives in Health Research [ 18 ], permits only ‘yes’ or ‘no’ responses to a series of questions on sex and gender integration and thus cannot assess integration quality. Additionally, as the authors themselves note [ 18 ], reviewers require training in a gender perspective in order to appropriately use the questionnaire, posing a barrier to its widespread uptake.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Essential metrics for assessing sex & gender integration in health research proposals involving human participants

et al. 2017

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Integrating sex and gender in health research is essential to produce the best possible evidence to inform health care. Comprehensive integration of sex and gender requires considering these variables from the very beginning of the research process, starting at the proposal stage. To promote excellence in sex and gender integration, we have developed a set of metrics to assess the quality of sex and gender integration in research proposals. These metrics are designed to assist both researchers in developing proposals and reviewers in making funding decisions. We developed this tool through an iterative three-stage method involving 1) review of existing sex and gender integration resources and initial metrics design, 2) expert review and feedback via anonymous online survey (Likert scale and open-ended questions), and 3) analysis of feedback data and collective revision of the metrics. We received feedback on the initial metrics draft from 20 reviewers with expertise in conducting sex- and/or gender-based health research. The majority of reviewers responded positively to questions regarding the utility, clarity and completeness of the metrics, and all reviewers provided responses to open-ended questions about suggestions for improvements. Coding and analysis of responses identified three domains for improvement: clarifying terminology, refining content, and broadening applicability. Based on this analysis we revised the metrics into the Essential Metrics for Assessing Sex and Gender Integration in Health Research Proposals Involving Human Participants, which outlines criteria for excellence within each proposal component and provides illustrative examples to support implementation. By enhancing the quality of sex and gender integration in proposals, the metrics will help to foster comprehensive, meaningful integration of sex and gender throughout each stage of the research process, resulting in better quality evidence to inform health care for all.

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“…In order to assess the quality of sex and gender additions to health research work, a team of researchers at the University of Zaragoza have developed a questionnaire containing almost twenty questions aimed at assessing gender perspectives throughout the entire research process (Tomás et al, 2014).…”

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confidence: 99%