Short Course in Multilingual Research Methods

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Addressing a paucity of training in multilingual research methods, we propose a unique, short-term education program to provide child health researchers with the sensitivity, skills, and knowledge to recruit and engage Limited English Proficiency (LEP) children and families in research. In the US there are approximately 7.8 million children and adolescents with no English-proficient parents. These children and youth are disproportionately excluded from child health research because of language barriers, and this threatens both the validity and the generalizability of research findings. It also raises difficult questions regarding adherence to the ethical principle of justice and the Civil Rights Act. And because Latino and Asian children are disproportionately affected by language barriers, lack of preparation to conduct multilingual research is also a barrier to adherence to the NIH policy regarding the inclusion of minorities as subjects in clinical research. To address this gap, we propose a training program with three components: First, we will offer a 3-day virtual workshop including hands-on training sessions with expert medical interpreters; orientation to an anthropological understanding of language and communication; practice in the development of multilingual enrollment and study instruments; and attention to team-building and budgeting for language resources. Second, we will deliver monthly webinars to address specific, practical issues that arise in the experience of trainees following the short course, e.g., writing for peer review. Third, we will create opportunities for participants to convene, network, and engage in professional development—e.g., by collaborating on conference workshop submissions and holding monthly, virtual works-in-progress—to build an intellectual community for multilingual child health research. These activities will be led by seasoned researchers, educators, and professional interpreters from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania State University, in collaboration with senior researchers from the project’s Invited Faculty and Advisory Committee. The short course will be appropriate for graduate, postdoctoral, and other child health investigators, including early and mid-career faculty, with prior research methods/design training and who are seeking specialized training in multilingual methods. By training and supporting a cohort of investigators, we hope to help transform the practice of child health research by making inclusion of LEP children and families the norm rather than the exception. We also hope to support the career development of multilingual investigators from underrepresented backgrounds by providing them with the training and tools to leverage their language skills for rigorous and reproducible research and grant-seeking. Ultimately, we believe this short course will enhance the equity, quality, and impact of child health research, leading to better health outcomes for children in the US and around the world.