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How to Teach a Country Research Project

February 17, 2022 By Holly Rachel

I love teaching a research project on a country. They are so much fun and students gain so much from studying them in your social studies curriculum. I have found that students find them fascinating and love learning interesting facts and recognising the similarities and differences between the country they are learning about and their own way of life.

What is a country research project?

In simple terms, as part of social studies, students create a report on a country by researching facts about it. Their country report could be a wide range of presentation mediums such as a written project, an oral presentation, a poster, worksheets, a performance or even a video, you can be as creative as you like! Student can use a range of methods to research their chosen country. This could be through books, the internet, interviews or from teaching presentations and information sheets.

Why are country research projects important?

It is so important that we teach students about different cultures to their own and to accept and respect differences, as well as to look for the similarities between us all. This is especially important in the interconnected world we live in today.

There are so many benefits to teaching a research project on a country. These include:

-Gaining knowledge about new places and different culture

-Sparking curiosity and a love of learning

-Understanding and accepting differences

-Recognising that even though cultures may have differences, we all share similarities

-Gaining a deeper understanding of their own culture as they learn about others

-Because they are so much fun!

How to do a country research project

A research project on a country may be part of your curriculum, or you may teach the project as part of a whole school cultural week. Alternatively you could set the project as homework for your class. It’s also a great idea to use the project to support learning across other subject areas. For example, students could use the knowledge they gain from their country study and use it in their writing, such as a story setting or an information text. Students could recreate art from the country or develop map skills.

What to include in a country research project

This is the fun part! You may wish your students to lead their own research and report on the areas that interested them, or you may wish to give some guidance. Some great ideas for your research project on a country could include:

Identify the particular country on a map of the word. Where is it located? What continent is the country in? What is the capital city? You could look for physical geographical features such as mountains and rivers. Does the country border any seas? What are the neighbouring countries?

Research the country’s flag. What does the flag tell us about the country? What is the population? What sort of climate does the country have? Students could use graphic organizers to help them record the information they find.

Food is such a great way to learn about a country. It really tells us a lot about the sort of flora and fauna that can be found the country. It can also tell us a lot about the climate of the country. Is it common to preserve food in a particular way? For example through pickling or using spices? Why might this be?

This is such an important skill. As we become more globally connected, learning an additional language is such a valuable skill. You could start with some key phrases and greetings.  Maybe choose certain activities where you could speak in language, such as greeting each other first thing in the morning, or asking. ‘How are you?’ after lunch.

Sight seeing

Learn about the iconic landmarks of the country. When, how and why where they built? What do they tell us about the country and the people who live there?

Recreate art from the country. This could be a study of a particular artist or art movement. Students could recreate a particular painting. What does the painting capture? What can we learn from it? Or perhaps use a painting from the country as inspiration for students’ own work, this could even span different subjects. Create a bulletin board of the students’ own work!

Teach students songs from the country. This is also a great way to learn a language. Listening to and singing songs can really help students gain a valuable insight into the culture.

Sweden Country Study

If you’d like to get started with a country research project, check out my FREE Sweden country study when you subscribe to my email list. These are perfect for your Social Studies 2nd Grade curriculum.

Included is a PowerPoint presentation with 10 slides packed full of information to teach your students all about Sweden. Slides include a map of Sweden, the Swedish flag, basic Swedish phrases, Swedish foods, Swedish landmarks, the Northern Lights and Dala horses, a traditional Swedish craft. That’s right, I have done all the research for you, so it is NO-PREP and ready to go!

Teach the topics as part of your social studies weekly lesson. Alternatively, allow students to complete the project at their own pace or assign out as homework.

Along with PowerPoint slide is an associated social studies worksheet for 2nd Grade students to complete with the information they have learned from the slide show. So this means no trawling the internet finding a worksheet to match a PowerPoint and spending hours making your own. It is all done for you!

Not only that, the activities are differentiated on two levels to support a range of ability levels in your class.

Do you spend hours prepping work for early finishers? Well, I’ve got you covered with a wordsearch all about Sweden!

Also include are summary activities about the project. This includes a worksheet for students to record their favorite facts and a postcard template. Students imagine they have visited Sweden and write postcard home about their travels!

Finally it comes with a super cute cover sheet so your students can make their own booklet with the worksheets. Did I mention this is all FREE? Grab your FREE Sweden Country Study today!

If you’d like to check out my other country studies, I have a whole range of countries available:

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Country Research Project

Our Country Research Project is ideal for older elementary students and middle school students. Before tackling this Country Research Project, we introduce, review, and solidify basic map skills with our FREE Printable World Maps & Activities . By the time my students reach 4th grade, they do one of these projects a year for the next two years.  In this project, you can implement research, writing, reading, and more into your homeschool. Our FREE Country Research Sheets & Maps make teaching and learning about different countries around the world easy!

*If you teach in a school setting or would like to download all of our Country Research Project Printables at once, check out our shop . For those of you looking for more free social studies resources , check this post out!

*Be sure to have these on hand when starting to teach geography. Do you have a  globe ? Check. Do you have a world map ? Check? Do you have an  atlas ? Check. Then, you are all set!

As a Christian Book and Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. As always, we only recommend items that we truly feel will benefit your homeschooling experience. We appreciate it.

What is included in our Country Research Project?

Country research sheets.

Our Country Research Project always starts with one of these country research sheets. There are two options to choose from. Years ago, my oldest did his research using a brainstorming sheet. We made it work, but it was much harder to organize his notes since they were random. The Country Research Sheets give students focus and guide them to information that would make a solid research paper. From experience, these research sheets make it easy to organize information for a 5 paragraph essay.

DOWNLOAD COUNTRY RESEARCH SHEETS

Blank continent maps with outlines.

This set of Blank Continent Maps with Outlines coincide perfectly with the FREE Country Research Sheets. Whatever country your student is studying, print the corresponding continent map out. Your student can then locate, label, and color their country within its continent. The worksheet then instructs the student to label the countries bordering countries and oceans. This map is an excellent addition to the Country Research Project.

The second version includes the outlined map, but has no instructions written at the top. For those you wanting to use these to color all continents rather than one, then you can!

DOWNLOAD BLANK CONTINENT MAPS

Research paper.

Once my student completes the country research sheet, it is easy to sit with them and discuss what facts should go into each paragraph of their essay. We literally looked over the facts, and then wrote a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 next to them. This was an easy guide for  my student to follow when he sat down independently to write his country project paper. If the fact had a 1 next to it, that meant he was to include that fact into his first paragraph. 2 meant second paragraph and so forth. When I teach my kids to write a 5 paragraph essay, I like to break it down into an introduction paragraph, 3 body paragraphs, and then a conclusion or closing. Each paragraph should include at least 3 sentences, but 5 sentences are encouraged. You might be interested in checking out our  5-paragraph graphic organizers . They make creating an essay outline easy!

DOWNLOAD COUNTRY RESEARCH PAPER

Project visual.

Creating a visual for the Country Research Project is one of the last pieces of this assignment. Some kids will love this aspect of the project and this is where their creativity will shine. Other students will not enjoy this part of the project. No matter, encourage them to write notes and facts about their country, add a title, draw pictures, color it neatly, display a flag, and so much more. We choose to create a poster display. Your student may create a PowerPoint presentation, a hanging mobile, or a cardboard display. There are several options to choose from.

Country Project Presentation

End the Country Research Project with a presentation. For those of us who  homeschool, this can be easily down at the dinner table. Allow your student to present to the family before dinner or after dinner. Encourage them to share their visual and what things they learned about their country. Some of my kids have read their paper out loud. In a classroom setting, presenting their project is a must. Public speaking is a skill that should be encouraged when possible. Some kids will really shine when presenting, while others will struggle. Regardless of their strengths or weaknesses, it is always a good rule of thumb to give your child the opportunity to share.

OTHER FREE HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES

Looking for a more Permanent Curriculum?

For the first few years of homeschooling, I created and put together my oldest sons curriculum. On one level, I enjoyed this. It was fun to look at all of the free options and ideas on the web. On the other hand, I got overwhelmed and distracted like a kid in a candy store. As I had more children, life became busier too. It became evident to me that ordering workbooks and textbooks to guide us was ideal for our schedule and life. I still create interactive units to supplement and meet individual needs, but I have found that the workbooks give us  a sense of direction and consistency.

For me, compiling engaging curriculum for each of my kids became time consuming and daunting. It is a huge blessing being able to buy math and grammar workbooks. It gives me a piece of mind to know that I am not skipping around or leaving gaps in their education. Some of you may scoff at this. I am not condemning those that go it wholly on their own. Personally, it was just too much. If I was unable to purchase these books, then of course I would change my strategy to use more readily accessible materials. If you are interested in checking out some of the most popular and effective homeschool curriculum available, follow the link below. Happy homeschooling…

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Research Project Planning

To make any project go smoothly, you want to be organized and prepared.  Here are some questions and tips to consider before diving in:

W ho will be conducting the country research project?  

• the whole class (benefit: an opportunity to introduce and model research skills)  
• in small groups (benefits: incorporate cooperative learning skills; provide choice/meet individual needs ; compare and share information about different countries)  
• independently (benefits: provide choice/meet individual needs; compare and share information about different countries)

W hat country will be explored? 

Options include:

• Teachers choose the country based on available resources or as a connection to a book, event, or unit of study – for example, researching China during Chinese New Year celebrations, exploring South Africa while reading Long Walk to Freedom , or investigating Brazil as part of a study of the Amazon rainforest .
• Students choose the country based on interest or personal connection (heritage, travel).
• Leave It to Chance & Spin the Wheel!

W hen will the country research project(s) take place? 

Over several weeks? Once a quarter or semester? Throughout the year?  

Will it be tied to a book or specific curriculum?

Plan the dates and times for researching , creating , and presenting projects. 

W here will students find reliable information about the country?

Setting younger students loose on the internet and providing them with books they can’t read or understand is a recipe for disaster. When learning about countries and cultures, it is critical that the information is accurate and does not promote stereotypes. 

See our RESOURCES section below for recommended websites and booklists we use. In addition:

• invite guest speakers such as school staff, families, and community leaders to visit
• establish global pen pals
• join National Geographic’s Explorer Classroom  

W hy is it important to do a research project on a country? 

Benefits include:

• developing an understanding of world geography and cultures
• building a foundation for future global learning
• preparing for living and working in a globalized world 
• learning new perspectives
• practicing a variety of important skills, including researching, reading, writing, and communication, while discovering our world
• add your own!

H ow will students share what they learn?

There are many ways students can share their discoveries. An interactive notebook, poster, or presentation board, a slideshow, movie, or travel ad are just some ideas. Encourage your students to come up with their own ideas, too!

Think about who students will be presenting to : classmates, school, families, community …

Plan for where the presentations will be held: classroom, gymnasium, outdoors, online …

Reserve any space needed, and have students create invitations to send out at least one week prior to the event.

Research Project Resources 

Introduce the resources you’ve previewed and chosen for students to use. Establish any necessary parameters. 

Google Earth

Google Earth Education   

National Geographic Kids

Globe Trottin’ Kids   

Yep! I needed a reliable, kid-friendly resource for my young students to explore their world. So… I built it! 

(Well, I’m building it. More countries continue to be released!) Come explore!

Each country profile page includes:

• detailed map
• infographic of quick facts (population, currency, etc.)
• National symbols
• photo gallery
• informational video
• activities for exploring the country’s food, sports, animals, and more
• video read aloud
• book suggestions
• country “challenge” – interactive tasks for learning about the country’s geography and culture. Also available as a PDF.  

The Explore section under the “Students” tab has additional resource links on a variety of topics.

Another purpose for building Globe Trottin’ Kids was to share global learning information and resources with my fellow educators. Browse our Educators tab, Events calendar, and Blog ! Subscribe to our Go Global newsletter for monthly ideas and inspiration.  

Provide a variety of books to support students during their research. From facts to folktales, explorers will discover important information for their projects.

Integrate the books into literacy lessons and read-alouds. Leave them accessible for independent and buddy reading. Offer them for checkout to share at home.

Finding Titles

Our country profiles include book suggestions – plus a video read-aloud is included in each country challenge! 

Lee & Low  

Kids Travel Books  

Prepare the Room for Research Projects

• world map to hang or project on a screen
• world atlas – online or book
• globe – physical or virtual
• make it a festive environment with world flags decor  
• country map(s) – posters or printed
• posters of famous landmarks, people, inventions, etc.
• vocabulary wall
• culture kit – check with your school/district resource centers and local libraries
• country artifacts such as clothing, tools, art, and musical instruments
• traditional music 
• websites* 

*See the Resource lists below.

Prepare the Students for Research Projects

Background knowledge & vocabulary.

Before students investigate their world, have them review their place in it. 

A basic understanding of map skills and relevant vocabulary (hemispheres, continents, oceans, equator, countries, cities, capitals, borders) are necessary.

Our free geography Flip Book is a great review and reference tool.

Set the Purpose

Ask students why, or share why (from the W hy section above) it is important to learn about other countries.

Invite them to share what they want to discover as the “Explorers.”  For example, they might be interested in finding out the country’s official language, typical weather, or popular foods and sports. 

Make a list of the topics. Guide as needed.   

Get Started!

Prepare a notebook (or staple sheets of paper) with pages dedicated to different topics.

Review/model how to take notes using your own words.

Remind students to use several references for cross-checking facts. 

Guided Research Project on a Country

To make the project even more organized and engaging for students, try our Guided Country Research Projects for Young Explorers which pair perfectly with our website!

The Country Research Project Draft Book guides students through the research process with step-by-step directions and graphic organizers for collecting information. 

The Country Research Project Templates help students make their interactive notebook or presentation board creative and engaging. 

Extension ideas, project rubric, answer guide, and student passport are also included!

“This is a great resource that scaffolds the students’ research and allows them to present their information in such a fun way.” (Germany) Pastel Classroom

“I used this resource during a country study and it helped students find and organise the information easily. I used it to model research skills for supported students as well.” (Thailand) Honor H.

“I really appreciated how this helped the student to take charge of their own research.” (Canada) Mandy M.

Countries Currently Available 

Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, England, France, Germany, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, United States (and more coming soon).

Sold individually and bundled.

All proceeds are used to maintain our free global learning website. Thank you in advance!

Purchase a Research Project on a Country on Globe Trottin’ Kids or Teachers Pay Teachers

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Resources and

Guiding Curiosity, Igniting Imagination!

6 Fun and Engaging Activities for Your Country Research Project

Country Research Activities

Country research projects can be a powerful tool for helping students understand the diversity of cultures and the world around them. This type of project offers a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in another culture, learn about different customs and traditions, and broaden their perspectives. To make sure that your students are enjoying the process while they learn, it is important to incorporate fun and engaging activities into your country research unit. Here are six ideas to get you started.

I really like this project because it is an easy way to introduce students to different people, cultures and countries. Not a lot of people get to experience travel to other countries when they are young – this is the next best thing!

Virtual Tour

Take your students on a virtual tour of the country they are researching. Use Google Earth or other virtual tour tools to give students a visual experience of the country. I have used National Geographic on oculus. Here are some other resources to get your students excited and learning about the world.

Cultural Presentation

Have students present what they have learned about the country’s culture, including traditional customs, music, and food. Create a museum tour, where each student has a display on their desk representing their country and their research. Invite family to the event.

Music & Dance

Play traditional music from the country and have students learn and perform a traditional dance.

Arts & Crafts

Encourage students to create art projects related to the country they are researching. This could include creating traditional clothing, designing flags, or painting scenes from the country.

Have students learn a traditional theater art form or perform a traditional skit from the country that they researched.

Geography & Tech

Create an interactive map for students to use as they learn about the country’s geography and location. Have students mark important landmarks, cities, and geographical features.

These activities are designed to keep your students fully engaged and having fun while they learn about different cultures and the world. By integrating these activities into your country research unit, you will not only make the project more enjoyable for your students, but you will also increase the likelihood that they will remember what they have learned.

Incorporating a mix of hands-on activities, creative projects, and interactive experiences will help keep students motivated and interested throughout the project. Whether they are creating a virtual tour of the country they are studying, designing a cultural festival, or cooking a traditional dish, students will be learning in an engaging and memorable way.

If you are looking for more direction on how to plan and execute a successful country research project , be sure to check out my country research project for kids packet. This comprehensive resource includes everything you need to get started, including a student introduction letter, a detailed rubric for assessment, and a step-by-step guide for conducting research. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or a beginner, this packet will help make your country research project a success.

I used this during the World Cup for my students to become more engaged! We worked on our country project while we played the world cup in the background. Students got to choose a country that was currently still in the running, and we made a bracket to see whose country would win!

Such an engaging resource that was seamlessly integrated into our curriculum! Very little hassle, but with great outcomes! Thank you!

This resource was amazing. I needed something to connect to our curriculum for writing about countries and this was it. It matched up perfectly, but honestly presented better writing than what would have come from just our curriculum.

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World Geography – Country Research Project Inquiry Task

Updated:  12 May 2023

Help your students discover new countries with our printable country research project template.

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Looking for Research Project Ideas? We’ve Got You Covered with World Geography

Take your students on a trip around the world with our print-and-go country research project template. This resource is designed to help sixth-grade students discover different countries across the globe. Perfect for social studies projects, this pack includes everything you need to guide your students through a comprehensive research project on a foreign country.

No-Prep Country Research Project Template

Our pack includes a variety of worksheets and graphic organizers that will help students explore a civilization at least 500 years old. They will learn about why the civilization settled in the location, what challenges they faced, and how they adapted to the environmental conditions.

With this inquiry project, students will be encouraged to use their decision-making skills to craft questions and make learning choices. Teachers can easily monitor students’ progress and provide opportunities for advice through conferencing.

To enhance their map skills, students must correctly illustrate and label the country/location of their civilization. This pack allows students to engage with their learning in a fun and interactive way, making geography and history come alive.

This resource downloads as a printable PDF file, so all you need to do is download and print!

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A Global Health Research Checklist for clinicians

Rasha d. sawaya.

5 Division of Emergency Medicine, The American University of Beirut Medical Center, PO box 11-0236, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020 Lebanon

Kristen A. Breslin

1 Children’s National Health System, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 111, Michigan Ave, NW, Washington, DC, 20010 USA

2 Division of Emergency Medicine, Children’s National Medical Center, 111, Michigan Ave, NW, Washington, DC, 20010 USA

Eiman Abdulrahman

Jennifer i. chapman, dafina m. good, paul c. mullan.

3 Department of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, 601 Children’s Lane, Norfolk, VA 23507 USA

Oluwakemi Badaki-Makun

4 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD 21287 USA

Associated Data

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Global health research has become a priority in most international medical projects. However, it is a difficult endeavor, especially for a busy clinician. Navigating the ethics, methods, and local partnerships is essential yet daunting.

To date, there are no guidelines published to help clinicians initiate and complete successful global health research projects. This Global Health Research Checklist was developed to be used by clinicians or other health professionals for developing, implementing, and completing a successful research project in an international and often low-resource setting. It consists of five sections: Objective, Methodology, Institutional Review Board and Ethics, Culture and partnerships, and Logistics. We used individual experiences and published literature to develop and emphasize the key concepts. The checklist was trialed in two workshops and adjusted based on participants’ feedback.

Discussions surrounding global health research priorities, methods, ethics, and governance have increased in recent decades following reports highlighting disparities in global research resource allocation, with an emphasis on local research capacity building, respect for local innovation, and global research priority setting [ 1 – 3 ].

In parallel, clinicians are increasingly interested in global health work as indicated by the increasing number of training programs with global health rotations or tracks and global health education publications [ 4 – 6 ]. In academic settings, clinicians aim to marry their global health clinical interests with academic research in order to increase their impact in their partner communities as well as their academic footprint, thereby developing an academic niche. However, performing research in a different country can be a daunting proposition for the busy clinician with limited time and funding, and maintaining such a research career may be difficult [ 7 , 8 ].

To date, there are no guidelines published to specifically help clinicians initiate and complete successful global health research projects. We define a research project as successful if it reached publication and had a meaningful impact on the local community.

Therefore, we endeavored to develop a Global Health Research Checklist to be used by clinicians as a structure for developing, implementing, and completing a successful research project in an international and often low-resource setting.

The Global Pediatric Emergency Medicine Group (gPEM Group) at Children’s National Health Systems, George Washington University is a group of pediatric emergency medicine physicians with clinical and research experience in global health in various settings. Eight of us used a team approach based on our individual experiences to delineate the sections of the checklist. We used published literature to emphasize the key concepts as described below in detail. The checklist was trialed in two workshops including the Pediatric Academic Society meeting, Washington DC, and was adjusted based on participants’ feedback which included changes in structure, number of sections, examples, and content flow.

This checklist consists of five sections that can be tackled in any order (Table  1 ):

Methodology

• Institutional Review Board and Ethics
• Culture and partnerships

Global health research checklist for clinicians

The five sections of the checklist

Two successful research projects [ 9 – 11 ] illustrate key concepts of the checklist and will be referred to in the discussion below (Table  2 ).

Case illustrations

As with any sound research project, the first step is defining the research question and objectives. Generally, the project will grow out of personal interests or, preferably in global health, the needs of the local partner. A review of the literature will help identify work already done in the specified field as well as people who have worked in the area of research and the country of interest. Many professional organizations have interest groups to connect with those working in similar areas in global health [ 12 ]. Ideally, in global health settings where the territory and the system may be unfamiliar, the investigator should identify both published and unpublished studies and learn about successes and roadblocks previous investigators faced. Most importantly, the on-site partners must be involved and invited to give feedback on the value and acceptability of the project, and a formal needs assessment can be a valuable tool.

For example, in case one, RS initially aimed to study pre-hospital care but in response to the local partner’s needs, changed to study the emergency department.

Next, the investigator, together with on-site collaborators, should formulate specific objectives from the potential broad research questions. This may be a testable hypothesis, such as a new triage system will have less over-triage than the previous system (case two), or a may be a specific aim describing the training of providers caring for children in local emergency departments (case one).

Finally, the investigator is encouraged to consider the potential impact of the study being planned. These include answers to the following questions: Why is this question worth investigating? What are the potential implications on health outcomes of individual and of the community? Is there a possible impact beyond the population studied? What are the implications for the health resource utilization for the hospital or ministry of health? Will the implementation of this study drain the system or contribute to it?

While any study design may be applied to global health research, the methodology selected will depend on the available data sources, ethical considerations, and resource limitations. A structured planning tool, such as a logic model [ 13 ], will help ensure all necessary resources and desired outputs are considered and will provide a map of the project to share with collaborators. Table  3 lists examples of study designs with special considerations for a global health setting.

Examples of study design: advantages and pitfalls in a global health setting

One priority is defining the study population. In a global setting, the local team’s input is invaluable to help understand the population and setting the investigator will be working in and how it will impact the study population.

Finally, the outcome specifies exactly what the study will measure. For example, to evaluate a new triage system, the investigator may want to measure how well the assigned triage level compares to the eventual disposition of the patients (case two). One could also measure staff satisfaction, length of stay, or in-hospital mortality. Using mortality as a measure can potentially show the importance of an intervention, but it can be difficult to demonstrate an impact and may require a larger sample size.

Institutional review boards and ethics

Significant discussion regarding the ethics of research in developing versus developed countries has occurred in recent decades, leading to the elaboration of guidelines specific to research in international settings [ 14 – 16 ]. These highlight the need to consider local cultures, economic capabilities, population needs, the local team’s right to innovation, and self-governance as well as long-term benefits and sustainability to the community studied [ 17 , 18 ].

The principle of respect for persons emphasizes the individual’s right to self-determination and requires protection of those with a lower capacity for self-determination (e.g., children) [ 19 ]. Informed consent is an integral part of this principle and one that often causes complications in research implementation. For instance, in some societies, it is traditional and acceptable for the husband or another male relative to make decisions for a woman [ 14 ]. In others, the consent of community elders or senior family members must be sought before individual consent is obtained, if it is to be obtained at all [ 15 ]. Finally, illiteracy and cultural perceptions of western medicine may prove to be significant barriers to obtaining informed consent [ 20 ]. Discussions with local partners early on will be invaluable in understanding cultural implications of the proposed study and adjusting study design accordingly.

The principle of beneficence centers on non-maleficence and maximizing benefits while minimizing risk [ 19 ]. One controversy arising from the implementation of this principle for research in developing countries is the question of “standard of care,” i.e., should research studies in developing countries be required to provide the best available therapies (often standard of care in developed countries) as controls or should the standard of care in the local setting (frequently no or minimal therapy) be used? Such dilemmas have occurred frequently in published literature [ 20 – 22 ].

The principle of justice is exemplified by fairness of distribution. It requires appropriate selection of subjects and requires that the population in which the research study is being performed directly reap the benefits of the study [ 19 ]. Case 2 illustrates this principle: in Botswana, the host hospital was left with a new triage system uniquely designed specifically for it [ 10 , 11 ].

To protect research subjects and follow the basic ethical principles outlined above, there is a requirement that proposed research studies be reviewed by independent bodies based on ethical merit and scientific validity [ 14 , 15 ]. In principle, research should be held to high standards regardless of location. Generally, studies in developing countries involving cross-national collaborations require review by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) (or Research Ethics Committees) in both the developed and developing countries [ 14 ]. Identifying IRBs in developing countries may be difficult. If not available at the host institution, IRBs may be available at nearby large educational institutions/universities. In addition, local or national Ministries of Health could provide such services. Finally, if after a good faith effort to locate an IRB, but one does not exist at all in the country of interest, guidelines exist to assist in establishing one specifically for the study in question (Table  4 ).

Institutional review board resources

Culture and partnership(s)

Culture is pervasive in life, impacting every aspect of human behavior. The undertaking of a project in a different country where language, customs, religion, economic, and political climates all vary requires significant preparation [ 23 ]. A transparent relationship with a focus on humility and respect for the local partner’s culture is essential [ 24 ]. Sometimes, even a well thought out project may be affected by an unanticipated cultural misunderstanding [ 25 – 29 ].

In case one, RS had a rich understanding of the local culture given that she had lived there for many years. In creating the hospital surveys, since Arabic and English are the two languages utilized by most physicians, the team decided not to translate the survey in French, another main language in Lebanon. It was during the analysis that the word “resident” was noted to mean “someone who works in the hospital” for the physicians not trained in the US (or similar) medical system. This underscores the fact that even when a researcher has extensive knowledge about a culture, he or she may be from a different social class, ethnicity, or religion and therefore have a different understanding on certain issues and may not be aware of all the cultural variations within one nation.

In another unpublished example by LM, a project investigating the understanding of child abuse in Ghana was unsuccessful in getting local IRB approval because it was deemed to be too sensitive a topic with too many cultural implications for the local community.

Partnerships with local institutions, hospitals, or academic facilities are a necessary foundation to successful global health research projects. In creating a global health project, ideally, the first priority is to identify a local partner or institution that will serve as the “Local Champion” for the proposed project. This is often done over time, building a partnership individually or with a group. This long-term partnership is key to success as evidenced in the above-illustrated cases. Secondly, the project should be mutually beneficial to all parties involved and the identified partner should be equally committed and interested in the research project. In case two, the local team approached PM, highlighting their need and commitment. In academic settings, identifying partner priorities for research and offering authorship roles can be a motivating factor. Finally, delineating clear roles and expectations of both partners involved through memorandums of agreement/understanding (MOA/MOU) (Fig.  1 ) will provide concrete guidance for the project partnership. This could include responsibilities such as funding, housing, teaching, and authorship. Ideally, if these three key concepts are present then a successful partnership and a global health project are feasible [ 8 , 30 – 32 ]. Table  5 presents priorities and pitfalls in creating durable and productive partnerships.

Example of a memorandum of understanding

Priorities and pitfalls in creating durable and productive partnerships

The successful completion of an international project depends largely on logistical planning of timelines, budget, implementation, and manuscript publishing.

Timelines should include time for local partner identification, study design and development, data collection, and manuscript writing and submission. Careful planning should account for differing cultures and potential delays, such as availability of local partners and obtaining local IRB approval.

Expenses should be projected early in the project and funding options explored. Oftentimes, the pilot study may have to be funded by personal means. However, a partial list of potential funding agencies for clinicians is available in Table  6 . Recently, Hansoti et al. described the potential funding opportunities available specifically for emergency medicine physicians working in international settings. This paper helps the reader navigate the complicated world of grants from seed to federal grants [ 33 ]. In addition, gaining the support of the principal investigator’s home institution can be critical in funding time and travel expenses, as well as finding home institution global research funds.

Global Health Research Funding opportunities for clinicians

In planning for project implementation, health and safety travel preparedness should not be ignored. Research trip requirements can be found by visiting the public domains of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [ 34 ], the World Health Organization [ 35 ], the home country’s embassy website in the partner country as well as the partnering country’s embassy websites. Planning for the visiting members of the team with clear roles and check-in mechanisms is critical for both the safety and functionality of the team.

Limitations

First, this checklist is limited by the fact that it is focused on clinicians and may not benefit other researchers involved in global health research such as public health providers. However, this is a deliberate choice, as it is a gap in the published literature and based on our prior experience an invaluable tool for our clinician colleagues.

Moreover, this checklist requires validation, which we will be undertaking.

We have delineated a comprehensive Global Health Research Checklist for clinicians , consisting of five sections that we have deemed necessary for a successful project. We believe that the checklist presented above is a valuable tool to plan and assess the feasibility of global health research projects. We have highlighted specific areas a clinician researcher should address when embarking on a global health research project. Figure  2 reproduces the checklist with specific questions to be used by the clinician researcher. Having developed this checklist based on experience and currently available literature, our future aim is to validate it.

Personal checklist

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Availability of data and materials

Authors’ contributions.

RS generated the idea and contributed to the study design, literature search, figures, writing, editing, group organization, and submission of the manuscript. KB and OBK contributed to the study design, literature search, figures, writing, and editing of the manuscript. RS, LM, and PM contributed their case studies based on their research work. EA, JC, DG, LM, and PM all contributed equally to the study design, literature search, figures, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Consent for publication, competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The work in this manuscript, The Global Health Research Checklist for physicians, has been formally presented at a workshop at the Pediatric Academic Society, on May 4, 2013, in Washington, DC.

Contributor Information

Rasha D. Sawaya, Phone: (+961) 71529297, Email: bl.ude.bua@931sr .

Kristen A. Breslin, Email: gro.lanoitansnerdlihc@nilserbk .

Eiman Abdulrahman, Email: gro.lanoitansnerdlihc@arludbaE .

Jennifer I. Chapman, Email: gro.lanoitansnerdlihc@nampahcJ .

Dafina M. Good, Email: gro.lanoitansnerdlihc@doogD .

Lili Moran, Email: moc.liamg@nanabiliL .

Paul C. Mullan, Email: [email protected] .

Oluwakemi Badaki-Makun, Email: ude.imhj@2ikadabO .

Country Research: Websites

• Country Risk
• Emerging Markets

The following resources are links to external sites that offer country analyses.

• CIA World Factbook The CIA World Factbook contains overview information about every country and/or territory in the world. Statistics and information on government, economy, communications, transnational issues, and more, are updated every two weeks.
• U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets - Country Notes From the US State Department. Country overviews, organized by topic, including political conditions.
• Credendo Risk assessment for any country or continent.
• Datamyne - Free Report Library Trade Rankings reports rank US port and ocean-going carriers. Tops in Trade reports provide the top shippers, consignees and carriers. Quick Look reports measure various impacts on trade. Commercial Opportunity reports offer analysis and current trade statistics on select markets.
• Energy Information Administration: Official Energy Statistics from the U.S. Government Energy data and analysis for 215 countries. Use the map or list to select your country or region. Countries with bold font in the list have analysis briefs available.
• Trade.gov This link opens in a new window Comprehensive market intelligence, trade data and business tools to help U.S. companies export to global markets.
• GlobalEDGE Web Portal Provides tools and resources to efficiently research nearly any international business question you may have. Global Insights provides international business and trade information on over 200 countries, the 50 U.S. states, as well as nearly two dozen industry sectors, and many of the world’s trade blocs. Click "Global Insights" and choose your country by region.
• ILOSTAT The world's leading source on labor statistics. Provides yearly data on topics like total and economically active population, employment, unemployment, hours of work, wages, labor cost, consumer price indices, occupational injuries, and strikes and walkouts. Includes household income and expenditures.
• International Data Base The International Data Base presents demographic and socioeconomic statistics compiled by the Census Bureau's International Programs Center (IPC) for 228 countries going back to 1950. more... less... Data includes: Population by age and sex; life expectancy; fertility; marital status; and family planning. IDB also includes countries ranked by population for any year from 1950 to 2050 (projected). Also includes world population information.
• International Monetary Fund Staff Country Reports IMF Staff Country Reports provide detailed economic and financial information for individual countries. These reports are now available online going back to 1997.
• International Statistics Agencies The US Census Bureau provides links to statistical agencies of many foreign countries. Some are only available in the national language, but most have an English option. more... less... These sites typically include statistical information including population, demographics, etc. Some countries will include their own census information as well as economic data.
• International Trade Law Resources Produced by the member law firms of Lexwork International, this Compendium provides trade law summaries for over 30 jurisdictions prepared by law firms located there. Includes most significant US trading partners. An excellent resource for companies intending to do business in foreign countries and some US states.
• Library of Congress' Country Studies The Country Studies Series presents a description and analysis of the historical setting and the social, economic, political, and national security systems and institutions of countries throughout the world.
• NAI Global: International Commercial Real Estate Publications include global and local market reports highlighting trends in international real estate.
• NationMaster: Where Stats Come Alive! The NationMaster database is a collection of world statistics. Search by category or country to see rankings in over 5000 categories. See which country has the most soldiers or is the most generous or drinks the most bottled water.
• OECD Economic Surveys The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes individual country economic surveys (irreg.) providing national analyses and policy recommendations. Over 40 countries' reports are available.
• One World: Nations Online An ongoing project to promote world understanding and sharing of cultures, the One world Website contains basic information on countries as well as valuable links to nations' newspapers, government agencies, city populations, and more.
• UNdata Economic, social and financial topics compiled by the United Nations and affiliated agencies.
• US Embassy Use the location tabs to go to your region of interest to find links to embassies in that area. Look under featured links to find country specific information.
• World Bank: Doing Business From the web site: "The Doing Business database provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement." more... less... "The Doing Business indicators are comparable across 175 economies. They indicate the regulatory costs of business and can be used to analyze specific regulations that enhance or constrain investment, productivity, and growth." The library also has this annual print publication in the reference collection (Ref HD 3611. D656); each year there is a different topic covered, but the business indicators charts are a recurring feature.
• World Bank Open Data This link opens in a new window The Data Catalog provides download access to over 2,000 indicators for over 200 countries around the world, including hundreds that go back 50 years.
• United Nations Statistical Division The United Nations Statistics Division is committed to the advancement of the global statistical system. They compile and disseminate global statistical information, develop standards and norms for statistical activities, and support countries' efforts to strengthen their national statistical systems.
• United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme offers country statistics on various countries and track country development issues. UNDP helps countries develop strategies to combat poverty by expanding access to economic opportunities and resources

Websites - Exchange Rates

• Federal Reserve: Foreign Exchange Rates Provides daily rates going back to 1971.
• Measuring Worth: Exchange Rates Between the United States Dollar and Forty-one Currencies This site provides historical rates by year. It was developed by two economics professors.

Consulting/Tax/Accounting Firms' Country Guides

Many financial firms produce reports on doing business in a variety of countries. These reports typically aren't easy to find, so be sure to read the descriptive text under each link for instructions on how to locate the reports.

• Ernst & Young The easiest way to access E&Y's reports are to google: site:ey.com "doing business in" and choose form the results.
• LexMundi — Network of independent Law Firms Search for "Guides to Doing Business" in your city/country that you are interested in. These reports are prepared by Lex Mundi's member firms and provide a comprehensive overview of the legal and business environments in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide. They can serve as a useful resource tool when planning an international business strategy or researching a new business market. [from LexMundi website]
• PKF International "A Global Network of Independent Accounting Firms" Click the "Publications" tab to see "Doing Business in..." country guides as well as international tax alerts and guides.
• Price Waterhouse Coopers Mostly for tax information. Using google, type: site:pwc.com "doing business in [country]"
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Country Research Project – 5th Grade

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