COVID-19 related interdisciplinary methods: Preventing errors and detecting research opportunities.

Area of Science:

• Interdisciplinary research methods
• Public health policy
• Epidemiology
• Vaccinology
• Health economics
• Educational strategies

Background:

• Over 130,000 peer-reviewed studies on COVID-19 emerged within one year, overwhelming researchers and policymakers.
• The rapid growth of COVID-19 literature necessitates efficient synthesis to prevent errors and identify research gaps.
• Existing research synthesis methods may be insufficient for the complexity and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a synopsis of COVID-19 literature, preventing errors and detecting cognitive gaps.
• To generate a dialogue addressing omissions and contradictions in COVID-19 research through a novel 'method on methods'.
• To foster interdisciplinary and social integration for a comprehensive understanding and effective response to the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• A dual review approach: first from Biology to Policy, then from Policy back to its assumptions.
• Identifying nine inter-related problems, research needs, or omissions across various scientific and policy domains.
• Utilizing a 'method on methods' to generate visualizations revealing relationships, omissions, and contradictions.

Main Results:

• Nine critical areas requiring attention were identified: epidemiological data systems, non-symptomatic case detection, cost-benefit analysis, personalized testing, vaccine effectiveness factors, long-term economic predictions, paradigm errors, governance models, and educational programs.
• The analysis revealed a need for disciplinary and social integration to optimally address these identified problems.
• Visualizations highlighted possible relationships, omissions, and contradictions within the COVID-19 research landscape.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary and social integration are crucial for effectively addressing the identified problems in COVID-19 research.
• A frequently practiced 'method on methods' can mitigate the limitations of scope and obsolescence in literature synthesis.
• Open-ended, interdisciplinary perspectives and broad social participation are vital for constructing and reconstructing COVID-19 knowledge.