Adolescent Friendly Dissemination

The Good Participatory Practice Guidelines for biomedical HIV prevention trials (GPP Guidelines, 2011) note the increasing pressure for researchers to provide research results to all participants. In assisting researchers to design reporting systems and disseminate research results, these guidelines set out an appropriate process that is based on the needs of the research participants. Also in meeting the requirements of reporting the research findings, the Adolescent Participation in Research brief recommends that after data collection and interpretation is complete, young researchers devise actions to address the problem, report back their findings to both young and adult stakeholders, and negotiate the political and logistical complexities of working for change.

While reporting to young people is necessary, it should be noted that the implementation of the research findings is not easy and requires longer consultation with adult stakeholders.

Guiding researchers into engaging with the young people about issues that may affect the availability of the medical product after the trials such as the licensing of production rights, additional marketing and distribution research.

Involving the adolescents and young people in the planning the dissemination of results and engaging with key stakeholders such as policy makers and grant makers

Finding a balance between the youth led process and taking accountability to key stakeholders like funders and policy makers

Benefits of providing feedback

The GPP guidelines state that the benefits of structuring the process of giving feedback and sharing results with relevant stakeholders like adolescents, community members and funders has two fundamental goals:

  • It ensures that the research goals that were identified at the beginning of the research project are achieved
  • It strengthens the foundation for conducting future research with that targeted community

In addition, reporting the results to adolescents and adults is in line with the guiding principles of the GPP which are:

  • Respect
  • Mutual understanding
  • Integrity
  • Transparency
  • Accountability
  • Community stakeholder autonomy

Innovative ideas for disseminating research results

Get the basics right

  • Ten simple rules for innovative dissemination of research
  • Basic aspects of disseminating research results remain important when designing dissemination tools and messages accessible to adolescents. These basics aspects include: defining the objectives of sharing the results, targeting adolescents as primary recipients of the research results, defining the mode of communication and creating a dissemination plan.

Define objectives for sharing results

There are various reasons for sharing research results; some may be obvious; like wanting the academic community to hear about the findings, an expectation from the funding institution and making the research participants aware of the outcome of the results. At times the motive for sharing the results might not be obvious, like preparing for the second phase of the research and therefore using the first phase results as motivation to participate in future research. Sharing results is also an advocacy tool to prove that there is a need for policy / programme change.

Targeting adolescents as primary recipients of the research

Target and frame key research outcomes that are relevant, positive and friendly to adolescents and young people. It is important to share information that does not sound punitive or judgemental such as “an increase in pregnancy rates or illicit drug use”. An adolescent friendly report will pay more attention to the increase in the uptake of contraceptives and the young people independently seeking support to deal with their drug use problems. Frame the message positively, like “there is an increase in the number of teenage girls that completed secondary education in 2021, however, more still needs to be done to ensure a 100% pass rate”.

Create a dissemination plan

At the outset of the adolescent friendly research, a results dissemination plan is created with the young people. Sharing research results is a milestone in the cycle of research, especially the research studies that will be taking on another phase. When working with young people distribute tasks and effort to ensure regular updates of content targeted to the youth. Engage research staff and community members that have specific skills in the development of appropriate communication tools, to help find language and mediums that are youth friendly. For ongoing research studies such as clinical trials, it would be best to treat the results dissemination plan as a flexible living document because the results may speak to future research plans.

Going virtual

The advent of COVID-19 is posing a challenge in many traditional research activities and calls for innovation without compromising research principles. On the other side, researchers have been trying to find ways to make young people interested in research through participating. Now, technology and efforts to keep people safe from contracting COVID-19 facilitate the use of virtual platforms like webinars and social media to share research results to young people. We know that the adolescent needs short powerful messages and social media is a great avenue to share impactful messages.

BY YOLISWA NTSEPE (MA, PhD)
ADOLESCENT PROGRAMMES MANAGER

UPDATED NOV 22, 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. why adolescents?
  2. where do adults fit in?
  3. research methods and designs
  4. ethical concerns with adolescents
  5. protocol development
  6. adolescent friendly site assessment
  7. adolescent peer supporters
  8. implementation frameworks
  9. standard operating procedures
  10. data collection
  11. dissemination

REFERENCES & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Ten simple rules for innovative dissemination of research:
https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007704