Characteristics of IR

An IR process can optimize interventions available to address health problems.⁸ Thus, while bed nets and artemisinin-based combination therapy are key examples of available, affordable and life-saving interventions for preventing and treating malaria, access to and proper use of these interventions remain suboptimal (See Figure 1).⁹

IR is characterized by the complex, iterative, systematic, multidisciplinary and contextual processes that take place at multiple levels in order to identify and address implementation problems (Table 3).

As an intervention is tailored or adapted for a specific context, it becomes more difficult to argue that findings can be generalized to other localities or populations. It is important to apply scientific rigor to an IR project. The implication is that processes leading to outcomes must be well documented to be understood. As any other type of scientific investigation, IR must comply with good research practices, Including:

• Access to data collection and analysis methods and clear presentation to allow replication.
• Concepts and propositions should be logically consistent, clearly defined, and, in general, lead to empirically verifiable hypotheses.
• Methods and concepts should be intentionally subjected to criticism and evaluation by subject area experts.

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