The ethics of research in low and middle income countries

Many developed world academic institutions are forming international partnerships to improve clinical care, education and research in developing countries. This is a great development, and one I hope will last even when it is no longer trendy. But, particularly the conduct of research in developing world countries brings with it ethical complexities: it's cross-cultural, there are power gradients, and sometimes researchers are motivated more by pecuniary gain than true altruism. To help manage these risks, so our outreach can be most effective and least undermined by such factors, I wrote a review of the history and approach to the ethics of research in low and middle income countries.