How NIHR’s new journal is making global health research more accessible

Dr Emma Pitchforth, Senior Journal Editor of NIHR’s new ‘Global Health Research’ journal, talks about the role of the journal in delivering NIHR’s commitments to research in low and middle income countries.

We have now launched our journal, ‘Global Health Research’, as part of the NIHR Journals Library. NIHR has been funding research in low and middle income countries (LMICs) as part of our Global Health Research portfolio since 2016. 

This new journal is an exciting step in ensuring that global health research:

• is fully reported
• is freely available on an open access basis
• is visible

What to expect from our ‘Global Health Research’ journal

We will follow NIHR’s threaded publication model, which supports transparent publication. Engagement with other NIHR functions in the research pathway is important. We actively link with the Global Health Research programme at the commissioning stage of research. We work with NIHR Evidence to maximise reach and impact.

The first two papers to be published highlight the variety of healthcare needs, contexts, and research teams supported by the Global Health Research funding programmes. Both studies received funding from the NIHR Global Health Research Groups. This has allowed them to address specific priorities identified at the local level.

In the first study, Nayreen Daruwalla's team examined the support needs of survivors of violence against women in urban India. India-based non-profit Society for Nutrition, Education, and Health Action worked alongside a team at University College London. Their research is a great example of collaboration.

The second study was conducted by Rocio Nava-Ruelas's team from the Universities of York and Nottingham. They led a review of methods for providing depression care to individuals with tuberculosis in LMICs. This research is part of a broader initiative aimed at improving mental and physical health outcomes for this population.

Commitments in publishing global health research 

As part of the NIHR Journals Library, the ‘Global Health Research’ team will continue to work with the other journals to prioritise quality and develop best practice in publishing research. The following three areas are important to all journals. Partly due to the nature of funding, they are particularly important for us to consider and continue to develop:

1. Equitable partnerships 
   The promotion of equitable partnerships between researchers in LMICs and the UK is a central part of funding. Our journal is a key way to promote transparency in reporting. This includes the full reporting of contributions to the research. The use of the CRediT taxonomy is one way in which we will ensure this and we are currently updating our guidelines around authorship for research conducted in LMICs. 
2. Career development 
   This is also an important consideration in funding decisions. We will work closely with researchers in LMICs and the UK, to make sure we are representing early career researchers in authorship. The threaded publication approach gives earlier career authors the opportunity to publish articles in our journal. They are guided by a supportive and developmental editorial process. Development of editors is also important for us. We have recently appointed editors from LMIC backgrounds to ensure that, in helping to shape global health research publications, we fully understand its context and what high income countries can learn from LMICs. 
3. Community engagement and involvement
   This is central to all of NIHR’s activities. When publishing global health research, we have a responsibility to include relevant communities through the peer review process. Considerations of accessibility and the types of articles that we publish help to maximise relevance and impact from the research. 

Cat Chatfield, Editor in Chief of the NIHR Journals Library, recently highlighted new and exciting developments. This includes how we can work with partners to support dissemination, beyond the publications of findings. This will be an important consideration for ‘Global Health Research’ moving forwards. 

Looking ahead to the future

The launch of our ‘Global Health Research’ journal is the result of a lot of work on behalf of NIHR, our researchers and our partners. We continue to fund research to address the diverse health needs of people in LMICs. We have a vital role to centre the principles of equity, transparency and community involvement in the publication of findings.