We are a group of researchers drawn from the KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (Kenya), Africa Health Research Institute (South Africa) and the University of Ghana. Since 2021, we have been conducting qualitative in-depth case studies in selected research institutions in Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
This survey is part of an empirical ethics study on the social and ethical aspects of COVID-19 research and public health response, which has received ethics approval by the Scientific and Ethics Review Unit in Kenya (SSC/SERU/CGMR-C/054/4090). Wellcome and the Science for Africa Foundation have provided funding for this study.
Through this survey, we are seeking information about your experiences and views of conducting research and submitting research protocols for scientific and ethics review during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. This information, in addition to the case study findings, is likely to contribute to preparedness for future public health emergencies in Africa, including strengthening research review systems, providing ethical guidance for non-research responses and supporting staff to address ethical and emotional challenges during public health emergencies.
Voluntary Consent: You are being asked to volunteer to take this survey. You can choose whether you would like to be a respondent or not. If you agree, you can change your mind at any time and stop responding to the survey questions. Do you consent to taking part in this survey?
Yes
No
1. Gender:
Male
Female
Non-binary
Prefer not to disclose
2. Age group (yrs):
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
≥65
3. Nationality:
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Channel Islands Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic DR Congo Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Finland France French Guiana Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Réunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino Sao Tome & Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas Timor-Leste Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
4. In which country is your role mainly located?
Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Central African Republic Chad Channel Islands Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic DR Congo Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Finland France French Guiana Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Réunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino Sao Tome & Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas Timor-Leste Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
5. How long have you been working in your current role?
6. What is your main professional role?
Researcher
Clinician/Doctor
Director or Head of Department
Research Manager
Fieldworker
Community health volunteer
Nurse
Laboratory Technologist
Statistician
Data Clerk
Ethics review committee administrator
Other (specify)
Specify main professional role
The option " " can only be selected by itself. Selecting this option will clear your previous selections for this checkbox field. Are you sure?
7. What are the types of research involving humans conducted at your institution?
Clinical research
Biomedical research
Social science research
Epidemiological research
Ethics research
Policy analysis
Literature reviews
None - We do not conduct research involving human participants
Other (specify)
Don't know
Tick all that apply
Specify other research type
8. Which of the following best describes your institution?
Research centre or institute
A University
Non-government organization
Government organization
Other (specify):
Tick all that apply
Specify other description of your institution
9. How long have you been working in research?
10. What types of research do you mainly conduct?
Clinical Research
Biomedical Research
Epidemiological Research
Ethics Research
Health Systems and Policy Research
Other
Specify other research
11. During the COVID-19 pandemic, did you submit a research protocol for research and ethics review?
Yes - I submitted a protocol for review as the principal investigator
No - I did not submit any protocol for review as principal investigator
12. How many protocols did you submit for review during the COVID-19 pandemic?
1-2
3-4
5-6
7-9
≥10
13.What research did you submit for review during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Clinical Research
Biomedical Research
Epidemiological Research
Ethics Research
Health Systems and Policy Research
Other
Specify other research
14. Were the research protocols you submitted for review approved? indicate number of protocols
Protocols approved through expedited review
Protocols rejected through expedited review
Protocols approved through normal review
Protocols rejected through normal review
Protocol review ongoing
Tick all that apply
Protocol approved count
Protocol approved count
Protocol rejected count
Protocol rejected count
Enter number of reviews underway
15. On average, how long did it take you to get your expedited review's final feedback?
< 7 days
1-2 weeks
3-5 weeks
≥6 weeks
16. Has any of the research projects you have conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic been exempted from research and ethics review?
Yes
No
17. Did you submit any of your research protocols for joint review? [A joint review process is whereby one protocol is submitted to and reviewed by multiple ethics committees and regulators who then make a harmonized decision on the protocol]
Yes - I submitted a protocol for joint review and approval
Yes - I submitted a protocol for joint review only
No
18. Overall, did you find the joint review process useful?
Yes
No
19. Briefly explain why you feel the joint review process was useful/not useful:
21. On average, how long did it take you to get scientific and ethics clearance for your research?
< 7 days
1-2 weeks
3-5 weeks
6-8 weeks
9-12 weeks
>3 months
Unsure
a. Feeling that you are putting yourself or others at risk of infection (Frequency). 0 (Never) 1 2 3 4 (Very often)
a.Feeling that you are putting yourself or others at risk of infection (Intensity) 0 (None) 1 2 3 4 (Very High)
b.Undertaking research or medical procedures that you felt were unnecessary (Frequency) 0 (Never) 1 2 3 4 (Very often)
b.Undertaking research or medical procedures that you felt were unnecessary (Intensity) 0 (None) 1 2 3 4 (Very High)
c. Feeling that colleagues are involved in potentially unethical practices at work (Frequency) 0 (Never) 1 2 3 4 (Very often)
c. Feeling that colleagues are involved in potentially unethical practices at work (Intensity) 0 (None) 1 2 3 4 (Very High)
d. Observing, and feeling unable to address, the suffering of patients or research participants (Frequency) 0 (Never) 1 2 3 4 (Very often)
d. Observing, and feeling unable to address, the suffering of patients or research participants (Intensity) 0 (None) 1 2 3 4 (Very High)
e. Using your personal resources to help people you meet during your work (Frequency) 0 (Never) 1 2 3 4 (Very often)
e. Using your personal resources to help people you meet during your work (Intensity) 0 (None) 1 2 3 4 (Very High)
The option " " can only be selected by itself. Selecting this option will clear your previous selections for this checkbox field. Are you sure?
24. What support has your institution provided to you or your colleagues to cope with emotional and ethical challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Counselling or linkages with psychosocial services
Ethics consultations/reflections - consultations and discussions on difficult situations encountered in the course of work that are held within study teams, with colleagues or external experts
Flexible working hours and arrangements - e.g. work from home
Financial support
Training
Other
None
Don't know
Specify other support provided
Submit
Save & Return Later