Shifting the Paradigm From Participant Mistrust to Researcher & Institutional Trustworthiness: A Qualitative Study of Researchers’ Perspectives on Building Trustworthiness With Black Communities

Abstract

Introduction Black communities are deeply underrepresented in research, due, in large part, to research mistrust. It is critical to shift the burden of trust building from communities to researchers and research institutions, which have perpetrated harm against Black communities for centuries. In this study, we examine researchers’ perspectives on how to become trustworthy to Black-identifying participants and communities. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with researchers affiliated with our institution’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Participants were recruited through email and responded to the study team if they wished to participate. Interviews occurred through Zoom, took 60 minutes, and were audio recorded. We used an inductive thematic data analysis approach. Results Sixteen researchers, who were affiliated with medicine, public health, psychology, education, and nursing, participated in this study. Participants agreed that researchers bear the responsibility for building trust and noted how critical it is to address the underrepresentation of Black participants in research through equitable recruitment and that researchers must be transparent and engage in reciprocal research practices. Community-partnered research was highlighted as a way to develop trustworthiness. Finally, participants noted that trustworthiness must also be built at the institutional level, rather than just by individual researchers. Discussion To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to examine researchers’ perspectives on how to build their own trustworthiness, with a specific focus on trust-building with Black communities. Explicit training and resources are needed to build trustworthiness into academic centers.

Patients’ views on HCC biospecimen research: Understanding the role of race and culture through interviews

“…However, the theme that emerged regarding hesitancy of Black persons to participate in research is pervasive in the literature. 37 Furthermore, it is important to recognize that these beliefs are not held by patients alone. Many researchers have similar perceptions and believe that little can be done to overcome barriers to inclusion of minority populations.…”