There are some basics of research design you may not have been taught.
Good thing it’s never too late to learn something new. Good thing that when we know better, we can do better.
Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines, and you can too.
Following the guidelines helps to promote complete and routine reporting of disaggregated data and the integration of sex and gender dimensions in research design, data collection, analysis, and publication.
If your research subjects are human or animal then SAGER is intended for you, that includes cells, tissues, or other derivative materials. Even if you don’t do research with human or animal subjects, thinking about how sex, gender, and other dimensions of diversity apply to your research design can make important contributions to equity and social justice.
In 2016, a group of international experts developed the SAGER guidelines as a standard procedure for reporting of sex and gender information in research design and findings in preparation of manuscripts for publication. Yet there is a persistent failure to integrate sex and gender into clinical trials, epidemiological studies, service access and health outcome data, among others. Disaggregation for other dimensions of diversity, such as race or age, is even less frequently practiced. Health equity and equity generally depends on integration of sex, gender, and diversity into research design.
Action Tip
- Post and follow the SAGER Guidelines in your Lab or Research Program. Click here for a printable version of the Guidelines
- If following the guidelines will mean significant change for your team, invite them to a discussion and brainstorming of how to adapt research practices
To consult about applying these principles to your own work to advance EDI in your lab or research program, please contact Joanne Garcia-Moores, IEDI Advisor in Research, Research Services Office at jmoores@uoguelph.ca
References
Heidari, S., Babor, T.F., De Castro, P. et al. Sex and Gender Equity in Research: rationale for the SAGER guidelines and recommended use. Res Integr Peer Rev 1, 2 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41073-016-0007-6
Heidari, S., Fernandez, D. G. E., Coates, A., Hosseinpoor, A. R., Asma, S., Farrar, J., & Kenney, E. M. (2024). WHO’s adoption of SAGER guidelines and GATHER: setting standards for better science with sex and gender in mind. The Lancet (British Edition), 403(10423), 226–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02807-6.
