NDLI: Going paperless: the strengths and limitations of electronic research ethics information management system in a health training institution in Tanzania

Content Provider	Springer Nature : BioMed Central
Author	Mkumbwa, Rebecca D. Pancras, Godwin Sirili, Nathanael S.
Abstract	Background Over the years, the processing of research proposals for ethical approvals have been done manually through a review of hard copies. Longer turn-around-time, increased financial costs to researchers and cumbersome submission processes are few of the challenges inherent to paper-based review of research proposals. This has necessitated the shift to electronic management of research proposals, Research Ethics Information Management Systems (REIMS). Still, the advantages of going paperless and inherent drawbacks remain unsubstantiated, hence the aim of this study. Methods We adopted a pre and post evaluation design using a qualitative approach, where 16 faculty members of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences were interviewed. Participants were purposefully recruited to include only those who had been exposed to both the paper-based research ethics review system and REIMS. The faculty were stratified into two groups: researchers and research ethics committee members. Thematic analysis using inductive approach was used to develop and analyze gathered information. Results The study unveiled the strengths and limitations of REIMS as two important themes. The strengths included convenience in the use of the system and improved records management. The limitations included demand for reliable ICT resources and limited reviewer-researcher interaction. Conclusion The findings of this study underscore the strengths and limitations of going paperless and employment of REIMS. Institutions aspiring to adapt the system can learn from this experience and devise ways to overcome the limitations. We recommend system automation, strengthening the institutional capacity and further studies to be conducted on the adoptability of REIMS especially in resource limited settings.
Related Links	https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12913-024-12151-0.pdf
Ending Page	7
Page Count	7
Starting Page	1
File Format	HTM / HTML
ISSN	14726963
DOI	10.1186/s12913-024-12151-0
Journal	BMC Health Services Research
Issue Number	1
Volume Number	25
Language	English
Publisher	BioMed Central
Publisher Date	2025-01-03
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Public Health Health Administration Health Informatics Nursing Research Research information management system Research ethics Tanzania
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Health Policy

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

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