Improving the quality of publications in and advancing the paradigms of clinical and social pharmacy practice research: The Granada Statements

[The International Collaboration of Pharmacy Journal Editors (ICPJE) formally constituted to foster quality around clinical and social pharmacy practice research publications]

Resumen

The Granada statements were a result of the need to strengthen clinical, social and administrative pharmacy practice as an area of knowledge that translates into practice, research and policy. As a re-sponse, a group of clinical and social pharmacy practice journal editors launched an initiative in Grana-da in 2022 to discuss ways to improve the quality of publications in this area, which culminated in the Granada statements. Eighteen statements were developed, clustered into six main domains:1) the ap-propriate use of terminology; 2) developing impactful abstracts; 3) having the required peer reviews; 4) preventing journal scattering; 5) more effective and wiser use of journal and article performance met-rics; and 6) authors' selection of the most appropriate pharmacy practice journal to submit their work.The full Granada statements have been published in 14 journals.(1-14) These pioneering statements are rooted in similar endeavors undertaken by scholars in other health professions groups, fostering the concept of interdisciplinary consensus and advancing scientific paradigm.

Drivers of citations in social pharmacy and practice research articles

BACKGROUND

Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy has been expanding in the last decade. The recently published Granada Statements offer key recommendations to improve the quality of research in this field.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the factors associated with the citations of articles in the field of social, administrative, clinical pharmacy and practice research.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective, observational analysis of articles published in three leading journals. Per article Google Scholar citations was the dependent variable. Predictor variables were extracted from all articles published from 2013 to 2015. The dependent variable was dichotomized using sample's median Google Scholar citations. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of citations ≥ median.

RESULTS

The median number of citations per article was 17 (range 0-341), with a mean of 24.2 (SD 27.6). The number of references included in the articles (OR 1.03, CI 1.02-1.04), the year of publication (OR 0.31 CI 0.21-0.46 for articles published 2015), article social media mentions (OR = 1.01, CI 1.01-1.03 and OR 1.10 CI 1.04-1.18 for Facebook and X, respectively), the topic area of research namely pharmacy services (OR 1.65, CI 1.06-2.57) and medication adherence (OR 2.22 CI 1.13-4.33) were independently associated with article having citations ≥ median.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of references, the year of publication, social media mentions and the topic area of research, namely pharmacy services and medication adherence, were associated with citations above median in the leading journals of social and administrative pharmacy research. Authors may consider providing a thorough literature review in their articles, while researchers, editors, and publishers are advised to use social media to promote newly published work. This article complements the Granada Statements and may contribute to fostering wider dissemination of the discipline's outputs.