Intellectual Project

My intellectual project, to which I devote most of my time, teaching, and research efforts, is committed to innovating inclusive health research methods aimed at enhancing health equity and social justice. This endeavor seeks to tap into the collective intelligence and creativity of diverse communities to address health disparities. By encouraging inclusive dialogue and collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and community members, I envision creating a more equitable healthcare landscape where every individual has a voice in shaping health policies and interventions.

Methodological Innovation in Inclusive Health Research for Health Equity and Social Justice

The research projects I work on advance this intellectual project of methodological innovation for inclusive health research in the thematic areas of global health, climate change and mental health, communicable and non communicable diseases. The areas of methodological innovation I work within are evidence synthesis, online and artificial intelligence powered research, arts based participatory research, strategic stakeholder engagement, and knowledge translation.

Embracing participation: Bringing communities into the heart of research

Author: Ameera Crew

Published: 03/07/2025

https://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=11423

When addressing social issues such as inequality, the climate crisis, or systemic injustices, conventional research methods can fall short of delivering real-world impact. This is where participation and transdisciplinary research step in, not only as buzzwords, but as necessary shifts in how we understand and produce knowledge.

At a recent Public Squares lecture, Professor Lynn Hendricks of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Global Health unpacked participation in research and its crucial role in shaping effective transdisciplinary research practices.

From research on communities to research with communities

Participation in research flips the traditional research process on its head. Instead of viewing community members as passive subjects, it brings them into the heart of inquiry as co-designers, co-producers and co-translators of knowledge. This approach is especially important in health research, where lived experience offers insights that academic theory cannot. "Participation should not be an add-on in research,” Hendricks emphasised, “rather, it is foundational for ethical and impactful work, especially when addressing the complex ‘wicked problems’ of our time.”

What makes research transdisciplinary?

Transdisciplinary research does more than bring different academic fields together. It actively integrates non-academic voices such as those of community members, artists and policymakers to generate knowledge that is inclusive, relevant, actionable, and transformative. It is:

Problem-driven: Tackling multifaceted issues like inequality and poverty.
Co-produced: Built on genuine collaboration with stakeholders throughout all stages of research, from framing questions to disseminating findings.
Inclusive: Recognising and integrating different ways of knowing, beyond traditional scientific norms.

This method calls for humility, reflection, and adaptability from researchers; qualities often overlooked in traditional academic training.

Key methods for meaningful participation

Through her work at Stellenbosch University and with the Public Squares Initiative, Prof. Hendricks and her colleagues have identified several techniques that bring non-academic individuals into the heart of research and knowledge production. These include:

Creative methods such as digital storytelling and participatory theatre performances to amplify community narratives.
Qualitative research methods that are culturally and context-sensitive, including focus groups, ethnographic observation, and narrative analysis.
Technological tools that allow broader, more accessible participation, such as mobile surveys and virtual collaboration platforms.

Such tools not only make the research process inclusive but also ensure that findings are grounded in the realities of those most affected.

The benefits and challenges

While the benefits of participatory and transdisciplinary research are many such as inclusivity, capacity building, and more sustainable and relevant solutions, challenges still loom. Power imbalances within academia, lack of institutional support, funding constraints and communication barriers can hinder the process of authentic participation.

“It’s not enough to invite communities into research,” Prof. Hendricks noted. “We have to change the structures that determine whose knowledge counts.”

Lessons for the future of participation in research

Drawing from various collaborative projects, Prof. Hendricks offered four key lessons for researchers to ensure that community participation in the research is authentic and ethical:

Partnerships between researchers and communities are essential not just at the start, but throughout the research process.
Participatory methods should improve the relevance of findings, especially for communities involved
Technology and the arts can bridge the gap between academia and community.
Institutional change is necessary to scale inclusive research models and ensure that the voices of the vulnerable and marginalised are prioritised.

As Prof. Hendricks succinctly said: “Unconventional problems require unconventional approaches.”

Photo by: The Dollie House

Evidence Synthesis

Mega-aggregation Framework Synthesis

This was the first mega-aggregation framework synthesis, or synthesis of qualitative evidence syntheses using the methods of framework synthesis at the overview level. We found the novel method to be a transparent and efficient method for assessing the quality and making sense of existing qualitative systematic reviews.

This innovation contributes to the reduction of research waste through synthesising existing review level evidence.

Synthesis by Storyboarding

To evaluate the complex interaction within the assemblage of the phenomenon of adherence, and specifically, to explore new materialism in relation to adherence to ART, we introduced a novel approach of Synthesis by Storyboarding, that enabled us to do justice to the very idea of creating an assemblage of intra-acting elements. The analytical technique of storyboarding, which consisted of 9 steps, helped us to make sense of the data collected from primary research papers.

This innovation increased accessibility to review findings for diverse audiences through images and narrative storytelling.

A first for a published review.