Methodological Perspectives of Doing Afrocentric Dementia Research in Africa

ABSTRACT This paper interrogates the methodological strengths and limitations inherent in conventional dementia research in Africa, where reliance on translated instruments and imported diagnostic rubrics has produced uneven evidence and ethical inadequacy. The African dementia evidence base remains fragmented and robust in select contexts, yet constrained elsewhere by workforce shortages, limited funding and culturally insensitive tools. To address this, the paper advocates for an Afrocentric research orientation, foregrounding African agency, communal ontology and spiritual realism as core methodological pillars. Operationalising Afrocentricity requires a dual commitment: technical rigour in design and analysis, and reflexive engagement with the complexities of language, pluralistic help‐seeking, spirituality and family‐centred care. It critiques methodological purism, proposing instead a flexible ethically accountable approach that situates dementia research within African lived realities. Key implications include co‐production with communities, respectful integration of spiritual practices and reciprocal benefit‐sharing. The paper further highlights the necessity of transparent engagement, linguistic justice through structured translation and lexicon development, safeguarding in contexts of stigma and adaptive research protocols responsive to local explanatory models. It contends that methodological rigour is perhaps a marker of authenticity, demanding humility and reflexivity from researchers committed to advancing dementia scholarship that resonates with African social worlds.