Thematic Analysis of Documents From the SOPHE Health Disparity Elimination Research Agenda Summit: Illuminating Competencies for Future Researchers and Practitioners

Abstract

Public health education researchers are adopting a view that disparities are a product of social systems exposures. As a result, the researchers are facilitating a review of the research questions asked and highlighting underlying assumptions informing the interpretation of results. It is within this view that the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Health Disparities Elimination Research Agenda Summit was implemented. Aspects of planning for the Summit are described elsewhere in this journal. This article describes an effort to facilitate additional learning from the Summit through qualitative analysis of documents from the Summit. This analysis processes records and verifies the consistently highlighted ideas or the content that offers guidance on how to move toward engaging in research that supports change. In addition, the analysis illuminates insights about the context in which research strategies can develop and suggests skill development that can foster this important research in the emerging public health education workforce.

Keywords

health disparities research qualitative document analysis research skill development

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