Autism research capacity building in Northern Mexico: Preliminary evaluation of an ongoing process

To inform improvement of care and public policy, quality research is required. Conducting research projects requires skills and infrastructure. Research capacity building is the process by which individuals and organizations develop greater ability to conduct useful research. However, in the scientific community, research quality and productivity measures are often focused on long-term products, such as publications or grants awarded. Those measures are not helpful when measuring initial stages of research, a common situation in low- and middle-income countries. We used a six-principle framework designed by J. Cooke to assess the progress of an autism research collaborative in northern Mexico. We established 64 criteria across the six principles, and rated them as Not Started, In Progress, or Achieved, based on narratives and process documentation collected for this purpose. Ratings were established for the Years 2018, 2020, and 2022. The principles with the highest Achieved rates were "Linkages, collaborations, and partnerships" (90%), and "Infrastructure" (Principle 6, 70%). Cooke's research capacity building framework is a useful way to monitor progress of research capacity building and contribute to harmonious development of relevant principles at different levels.