Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Feb 5;9(1):24.
doi: 10.1186/s13643-020-1279-y.

Social science research contributions to antimicrobial resistance: protocol for a scoping review

Abou Ali Vedadhir  1   2 , Carla Rodrigues  1 , Helen Lambert  3
Affiliations

Social science research contributions to antimicrobial resistance: protocol for a scoping review

Abou Ali Vedadhir et al. Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health issue with complex and dynamic interdependencies, high uncertainty and decision stakes, multiple drivers and stakeholders with diverse values and interests, and various aspects and outcomes. Addressing and combating this critical global challenge requires the formation and establishment of an interdisciplinary research approach that goes beyond the biosciences principally concerned with antimicrobial resistance to include other relevant natural and social sciences. The objective of this study will be to review and map existing social science knowledge and literature relating to antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: The review team will undertake the scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework and also the Joanna Briggs Institute methods manual. Publications in English (from 1998 onwards) will be searched using several databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Anthropological Plus, Sociological Abstracts, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), PsycINFO and EconLit. Grey literature will also be searched (e.g. Google Scholar). Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. Publication types will include original articles, editorials, commentaries, protocols, and books in the social science research literature on AMR. All study designs (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods) will be included. A PRISMA Flow Diagram of search and study selection will be used to report final figures on included and excluded studies. To provide a descriptive summary of the literature, data will be collated, stored, and charted using Microsoft Excel software. The analysis will also involve identifying themes and gaps in the existing literature and summarizing, describing and displaying all pertinent information using thematic construction approaches including qualitative content analysis methods.

Discussion: This protocol describes a systematic method to identify, map, and synthesize social science research evidence on antimicrobial resistance. By mapping evidence and identifying potential knowledge gaps where further research is warranted, the resulting scoping review will provide useful insights for the design, implementation, and reorientation of future research agendas on AMR at multiple levels. Systematic review registration: This protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/hyaem.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR); Scoping review; Social science research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests

References

    1. Tacconelli E, Pezzani MD. Public health burden of antimicrobial resistance in Europe. Lancet Infect Dis. 2019;19(1):4–6. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30648-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. WHO . Global action plan on antimicrobial resistance. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015. - PubMed
    1. Hoffman SJ, Outterson K. Introduction: what will it take to address the global threat of Antibiotic Resistance? J Law Med Ethics. 2015;43(Suppl 3):6–11. doi: 10.1111/jlme.12267. - DOI - PubMed
    1. de Smalen AW, Ghorab H, Abd El Ghany M, et al. Refugees and antimicrobial resistance: A systematic review. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2017;5:23–28. doi: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2016.12.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hay SI, Rao PC, Dolecek C, et al. Measuring and mapping the global burden of antimicrobial resistance. BMC Med. 2018;16:78. doi: 10.1186/s12916-018-1073-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances