A Look Behind the Scenes: Training for Better Research

The Beginning of Something New

In all its activities and partnerships, ICED is dedicated to providing valuable impact. This mindset applies to policy makers who used ICED's research and members of the global community who benefit from the research-based policies, as well as all the ICED team members themselves. July 5-7, 2023 was dedicated to equipping ICED's researchers and staff with knowledge on one of the newest projects: Gender Equality and Governance (GEG), a project sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation . This 3-day training was a deep-dive into the journey from gathering research to using it for Evidence and Gap Maps (EGM). The concept of Evidence and Gap Maps might sound simple but the participants will attest that the process itself is an experience that requires care, dedication, and focus.

What is an Evidence and Gap Map?

An Evidence and Gap Map (or EGM) is an interactive visual display that helps researchers identify what studies are currently available on a specific topic or theme and where the research gaps are. Simple, right? In theory, yes. The process of creating an EGM is a different story: from agreeing on the criteria for consideration (including the language and title), to reading entire studies and selecting the final papers to include; all of this while making sure no eligible studies are overlooked.

In practice, creating an EGM is a process that demands extra care from the researchers. The training at ICED was an opportunity to see the structure required to create a credible EGM. Credible, because even the smallest oversight in something as simple as leaving out an eligible study is enough to deem an EGM unreliable. After all, the goal is to give an accurate picture of the number of studies available on a certain topic and where there some, or further, research still needs to be done.

Putting theory into practice

Before this training, I hadn't ever heard of Evidence and Gap Maps but they're useful and actually fascinating. - Rachel Gambrah, ICED National Service intern

The EGM training—led by ICED experts Clarice Nyan , Gloria Odei Obeng-Amoako (Ph.D) , Solomon Zena Walelign , and Sheila Agyemang Oppong (Ph.D) —included hands-on activities that allowed the trainees to experience the full process. From choosing criteria and determining whether a title and abstract were enough to consider a study, to running the process through the EGM software, the entire training engaged trainees' minds. Most of the participants hadn't heard of Evidence and Gap Maps until the training, and the feedback was positive all around.

EGMs are considered a tool to support evidence-based decision-making, including new government policies and community-impacting programs. Click here to see what an EGM looks like.