Equity in Health Research: Motivations, Challenges, and Educational Imperatives

Abstract

Introduction: There is growing interest among health sciences researchers in incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles into their work. However, there is a lack of established best practices. This knowledge gap poses a risk of harm, particularly for equity deserving communities. This study aimed to identify the needs of health sciences researchers conducting EDI-related research and to learn from their experiences. Methods: This study used qualitative description through semi-structured interviews with health sciences researchers who self-identified as conducting EDI-related research or using an EDI lens in their research. Participants included faculty, staff, and students with diverse identities, experiences, and research areas. The interviews were transcribed then analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: Motivations for conducting EDI-related research were a mix of personal experiences and professional pressures. Participants avoided labeling themselves as “experts,” emphasizing the importance of lived experiences in their research. However, lived experience alone was not a substitute for formal research expertise; both were needed on research teams. Challenges included systemic pressures, representation issues, evolving terminology and landscape, emotional burdens, and bureaucratic barriers resisting and opposing EDI-related research. Early career researchers struggled with power dynamics in academia and finding supervision aligned with their interests and ethics. Participants shared valuable advice and resources to support higher-quality research including the creation of brave spaces for conversations around EDI to help alleviate the emotional burden on researchers, the importance of team-based approaches to ensure diverse perspectives and critical representation on research studies, and several ways EDI considerations can be embedded in educational and institutional processes. Conclusion: This study addresses the gap in formal EDI research education in the health sciences—an oversight that risks harmful research practices. The outcomes can be used to develop educational resources that promote critical thinking and best practices, thereby improving the quality and impact of health research.