Readability of the 100 Most-Cited Neuroimaging Papers Assessed by Common Readability Formulae

Evaluation of the Appropriateness and Readability of ChatGPT-4 Responses to Patient Queries on Uveitis

Purpose

To compare the utility of ChatGPT-4 as an online uveitis patient education resource with existing patient education websites.

Design

Evaluation of technology.

Participants

Not applicable.

Methods

The term "uveitis" was entered into the Google search engine, and the first 8 nonsponsored websites were selected to be enrolled in the study. Information regarding uveitis for patients was extracted from Healthline, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, National Eye Institute, Ocular Uveitis and Immunology Foundation, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Cleveland Clinic, and National Health Service websites. ChatGPT-4 was then prompted to generate responses about uveitis in both standard and simplified formats. To generate the simplified response, the following request was added to the prompt: 'Please provide a response suitable for the average American adult, at a sixth-grade comprehension level.' Three dual fellowship-trained specialists, all masked to the sources, graded the appropriateness of the contents (extracted from the existing websites) and responses (generated responses by ChatGPT-4) in terms of personal preference, comprehensiveness, and accuracy. Additionally, 5 readability indices, including Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook index were calculated using an online calculator, Readable.com, to assess the ease of comprehension of each answer.

Main Outcome Measures

Personal preference, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and readability of contents and responses about uveitis.

Results

A total of 497 contents and responses, including 71 contents from existing websites, 213 standard responses, and 213 simplified responses from ChatGPT-4 were recorded and graded. Standard ChatGPT-4 responses were preferred and perceived to be more comprehensive by dually trained (uveitis and retina) specialist ophthalmologists while maintaining similar accuracy level compared with existing websites. Moreover, simplified ChatGPT-4 responses matched almost all existing websites in terms of personal preference, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. Notably, almost all readability indices suggested that standard ChatGPT-4 responses demand a higher educational level for comprehension, whereas simplified responses required lower level of education compared with the existing websites.

Conclusions

This study shows that ChatGPT can provide patients with an avenue to access comprehensive and accurate information about uveitis, tailored to their educational level.

Financial Disclosures

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Large Language Models May Help Patients Understand Peer-Reviewed Scientific Articles About Ophthalmology: Development and Usability Study

BACKGROUND

Adequate health literacy has been shown to be important for the general health of a population. To address this, it is recommended that patient-targeted medical information is written at a sixth-grade reading level. To make well-informed decisions about their health, patients may want to interact directly with peer-reviewed open access scientific articles. However, studies have shown that such text is often written with highly complex language above the levels that can be comprehended by the general population. Previously, we have published on the use of large language models (LLMs) in easing the readability of patient-targeted health information on the internet. In this study, we continue to explore the advantages of LLMs in patient education.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the use of LLMs, specifically ChatGPT (OpenAI), to enhance the readability of peer-reviewed scientific articles in the field of ophthalmology.

METHODS

A total of 12 open access, peer-reviewed papers published by the senior authors of this study (ET and RA) were selected. Readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook tests. ChatGPT 4.0 was asked "I will give you the text of a peer-reviewed scientific paper. Considering that the recommended readability of the text is 6th grade, can you simplify the following text so that a layperson reading this text can fully comprehend it? - Insert Manuscript Text -". Appropriateness was evaluated by the 2 uveitis-trained ophthalmologists. Statistical analysis was performed in Microsoft Excel.

RESULTS

ChatGPT significantly lowered the readability and length of the selected papers from 15th to 7th grade (P<.001) while generating responses that were deemed appropriate by expert ophthalmologists.

CONCLUSIONS

LLMs show promise in improving health literacy by enhancing the accessibility of peer-reviewed scientific articles and allowing the general population to interact directly with medical literature.

Readability and Writing Quality in Radiation Oncology Journal Articles from 2004 to 2024

PURPOSE

Scientific literature is a vital tool that we rely on to communicate the findings of our studies; however, we rarely direct our study to the writing itself.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Here, we make use of modern natural language processing algorithms coupled with the large, open access PubMed Central corpus to analyze trends in writing complexity within the field of radiation oncology from 2004 to 2024. Changes in 1) required grade level to comprehend, 2) lexical complexity, and 3) information content were assessed. Articles were also classified, and then analyzed, by disease subsite.

RESULTS

We found significant increases in the 3 domains over the 20-year collection period. Genitourinary literature had the greatest readability, while gastrointestinal literature was the most complex.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis reveals broad increases in the complexity of our writing. This study demonstrates metrics to use and benchmark values to refer to when evaluating the complexity of radiation oncology journal articles.

Early predictors in language-based learning disabilities: a bibliometric analysis

Introduction

Language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) refers to a spectrum of neurodevelopmental-associated disorders that are characterized by cognitive and behavioral differences in comprehending, processing and utilizing spoken and/or written language. The focus of this work was on identifying early predictors of three main specific LBLD including dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia.

Methods

The Web of Science (WoS) was searched for literature related to (neurocognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging) measurements used to identify early predictors of LBLD from 1991 to 25 October 2021. A retrospective bibliometric analysis was performed to analyze collaboration among countries, institutions, authors, publishing journals, reference co-citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, keyword clustering, and burst keywords using Biblioanalytics software.

Results

In total, 921 publications related to the identification of LBLD using (neurocognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging) modalities were included. The data analysis shows a slow growth in research on the topic in the 90s and early 2000 and growing trend in recent years. The most prolific and cited journal is Neuroimage, followed by Neuropsychologia. The United States and Finland's Universities Jyvaskyla and Helsinki are the leading country and institution in this field, respectively. "Neuroimaging," "brain," "fMRI," "cognitive predictor," "comorbidity," "cortical thickness" were identified as hotspots and trends of (neurocognitive, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging) modalities in the identification of LBLD.

Discussion

Early predictors of LBLDs would be useful as targets for specific prevention and intervention programs to be implemented at very young ages, which could have a significant clinical impact. A novel finding of neuroimaging predictors combined with neurocognitive and neuropsychological batteries may have implications for future research.

Readability and quality of online information on total ankle arthroplasty

The internet is a frequently utilized resource to acquire health information. This study aims to examine the readability and quality of online information pertaining to total ankle arthroplasty (TAA). "Ankle arthroplasty" OR "ankle replacement" was queried in three search engines, with the first 3 pages of results identified. The readability of sites was calculated using six readability algorithms: Flesch-Kincaid grade level, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman-Liau index, and Automated Readability Index. Quality was assessed using the JAMA benchmark, Global Quality Score (GQS), and DISCERN instrument. A total of 62 relevant sites were analyzed. Sources were primarily physician-sponsored (50%) or academic (31%) websites. The mean readability indices were above the recommended sixth grade reading level, with an average grade level of across scoring tools of 13.22 ± 2.07. No sites were at or below a sixth grade reading level. Quality ratings were subpar across assessment tools: JAMA = 1.9 ± 1.0 (range, 1-4) out of 4; GQS = 3.4 ± 1.0 (range, 1-5) out of 5. DISCERN = 54.0 ± 11.2 (range, 31-75) out of 80. The readability and quality of online information regarding ankle arthroplasty is not optimal for the average patient, with improvement valuable in cultivating shared decision-making.

The readability of abstracts in library and information science journals

Purpose

The purpose of the research was to find out if there are any differences in the readability score between abstracts published in scientific journals from library and information science with and without an impact factor. Therefore, the author made a comparison between the readability of abstracts from one journal with (Journal of Documentation) and one journal without (Knjižnica or Library) an impact factor.

Design/methodology/approach

As a measure of readability, the Flesch Reading Ease Readability Formula was used. Then, with the help of statistical experts, a comparison of the readability scores between the abstracts of two selected journals was performed.

Findings

The results showed that some statistically important differences exist between the abstracts published in the Journal of Documentation and Knjižnica. The statistically important differences were found in the number of words and sentences in abstracts and in the readability of abstracts included in the research. Therefore, it can be said that there exists a statistically important difference between abstracts with and without an impact factor.

Originality/value

The primary purpose was to find out whether there is a statistically important difference in the readability score of abstracts with and without an impact factor in the field of library and information science. Some similar research studies have been conducted in other scientific fields.

Declining readability of research on biological invasions over two decades

To prevent and effectively manage the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of invasive non-native species it is essential that the underpinning scientific knowledge is widely disseminated and understood by scientists, the public, and other stakeholders. A key need for the public understanding of science is that technical information is easy to read and interpret. Unfortunately, this is not the case for research addressing biological invasions. Detailed analysis of the readability of research abstracts published over two decades in the leading international journal Biological Invasions revealed that texts were very difficult to read and had become less readable over time. Abstracts were pitched at readers with graduate-level literacy, much higher than the average reading-level of the general public. Authors from countries where English was an official language generated the most complex text. However, the abstracts from authors based in countries where English was not an official language have shown a marked increase in complexity since 2001. This reflected a trend for increasing numbers of words per sentence and more syllables per word and was not related to the increase in numbers of authors of an article. Complex abstracts attracted more citations suggesting scientific peers may be more persuaded by a technically challenging abstract pitched towards a readership with high literacy. Urgent action is required to remedy this problem. Ensuring authors and editors review the readability of the work they publish is a first step but more formal mechanisms such as using structured abstracts and the provision of additional succinct plain-language summaries will more effectively address this problem in the future.

Psycho-Oncology: A Bibliometric Review of the 100 Most-Cited Articles

(1) Background: A bibliometric review of psycho-oncology research is overdue. (2) Methods: The 100 most-cited journal articles were compiled and ranked according to Scopus. (3) Results: The total citation count for the results ranged from 488-8509 (Mean = 940.27; SD = 1015.69). A significant correlation was found between years since publication and number of citations (p = 0.039). The majority of research originated from the United States (66%). The vast majority of research publications were original articles (80%). Observational research study designs represented the majority of studies (37%). Mixed cancer population research studies represented the largest cancer research population (36%). Positive psychology topics represented the most prolific proportion of studies (30%). Findings were reported in line with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. (4) Conclusions: This analysis offers a comprehensive account of seminal journal articles in psycho-oncology, identifying landmark contributions and areas for future research developments within the field, namely highlighting a need for more RCT studies. This analysis serves as an educational tool for interdisciplinary researchers and clinicians to support compassionate cancer care.

Is the readability of abstracts decreasing in management research?

The readability of scientific texts is critical for the successful distribution of research findings. I replicate a recent study which found that the abstracts of scientific articles in the life sciences became less readable over time. Specifically, I sample 28,345 abstracts from 17 of the leading journals in the field of management and organization over 3 decades, and study two established indicators of readability over time, namely the Flesch Reading Ease and the New Dale–Chall Readability Formula. I find a modest trend towards less readable abstracts, which leads to an increase in articles that are extremely hard to read from 12% in the first decade of the sample to 16% in the final decade of the sample. I further find that an increasing number of authors partially explains this trend, as do the use of scientific jargon and corresponding author affiliations with institutions in English-speaking countries. I discuss implications for authors, reviewers, and editors in the field of management.

An evaluation of rural-urban disparities in treatment outcomes for obstructive sleep apnoea: study protocol for a prospective cohort study

Background

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common and treatable chronic condition that is associated with significant morbidity and economic cost. Geography is increasingly being recognised as a barrier to diagnosis and treatment of many chronic diseases; however, no study to date has investigated the impact of place of residence on health outcomes in OSA.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to determine whether treatment outcomes for patients initiating continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for OSA differ between those who live in urban versus rural settings.

Methods

A prospective cohort design will be used. Participants will be recruited through community-based CPAP providers and assigned to either the rural or urban cohort based on residential postal code. The primary outcome will be the difference in nightly hours of CPAP use between the two groups, measured 3 months after initiation of therapy. Secondary outcomes will include symptoms, quality of life, patient satisfaction and patient-borne costs.

Anticipated results

This study will determine whether there are differences in CPAP adherence or patient-reported outcomes between rural and urban patients with OSA. These results will highlight potential challenges with providing OSA care in rural populations and may inform health interventions to reduce urban-rural inequities.

Empirical analysis of the text structure of original research articles in medical journals

Successful publishing of an article depends on several factors, including the structure of the main text, the so-called introduction, methods, results and discussion structure (IMRAD). The first objective of our work is to provide recent results on the number of paragraphs (pars.) per section used in articles published in major medical journals. Our second objective is the investigation of other structural elements, i.e., number of tables, figures and references and the availability of supplementary material. We analyzed data from randomly selected original articles published in years 2005, 2010 and 2015 from the journals The BMJ, The Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine and PLOS Medicine. Per journal and year 30 articles were investigated. Random effect meta-analyses were performed to provide pooled estimates. The effect of time was analyzed by linear mixed models. All articles followed the IMRAD structure. The number of pars. per section increased for all journals over time with 1.08 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-1.46) pars. per every two years. The largest increase was observed for the methods section (0.29 pars. per year; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.19-0.39). PLOS Medicine had the highest number of pars. The number of tables did not change, but number of figures and references increased slightly. Not only the standard IMRAD structure should be used to increase the likelihood for publication of an article but also the general layout of the target journal. Supplementary material has become standard. If no journal-specific information is available, authors should use 3/10/9/8 pars. for the introduction/methods/results/discussion sections.

Conflict in nursing studies: A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 cited papers

AIM

This study aimed to identify and investigate the main characteristics of the top 100 most cited studies on conflict in published in nursing category in the Web of Science database using bibliometric and social network analysis methods.

DESIGN

A retrospective bibliometric analysis was used.

METHODS

The study data were obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database. The top 100 studies with the highest number of citations were included in the study. The study data were analysed with Excel and SPSS and they were visualized with VOSviewer.

RESULTS

It was concluded that the studies in the research were published in 38 different journals between 1974-2019 and they were conducted by 245 different authors from 24 different countries. It was further reported that the Journal of Advanced Nursing was the most productive journal and the USA was the most productive country. The most commonly used keywords were "nurse," "conflict," "nursing," "job satisfaction," "work-family conflict" and "ethical conflict."

CONCLUSION

The issue of conflict is a growing field of scientific study for nursing researchers. The quality of researches will be certainly enhanced in future with the studies published in journals with high impact factors.

IMPACT

The research of the top 100 most cited paper is a new and innovative bibliometric approach to understand nursing literature. There is very little information about the development, structure and characteristics of the existing mass of knowledge on conflict in nursing studies. The study findings establish a basis of information for planning further studies and providing guidance. In addition, this study provides researchers, scientific journals, institutions and countries with an opportunity to assess and compare their own performance in conflict literature in nursing studies. However, the fact that the most cited studies in the field of conflict in nursing is in demand by journals with high impact factor is a source of motivation for researchers studying in this field.

Most Common Publication Types of Neuroimaging Literature: Papers With High Levels of Evidence Are on the Rise

Objective: This study evaluated the bibliometric data of the most common publication types of the neuroimaging literature.

Methods: PubMed was searched to identify all published papers with “neuroimaging” as their MeSH Major Topics, and they were further searched by the following publication types: case report, clinical trial, comparative study, editorial, evaluation study, guideline, meta-analysis, multicenter study, randomized controlled trial, review, technical report, and validation study. The proportion of papers belonging to each publication type published in neuroimaging journals was calculated. Year-adjusted mean citation counts for each publication type were computed using data from Web of Science. Publication trend and its correlation with citation performance were assessed.

Results: Review and comparative study were the most common publication types. Publication types with the highest proportion in neuroimaging journals were guideline, validation study, and technical reports. Since the year 2000, multicenter study, review, and meta-analysis showed the strongest linear increase in annual publication count. These publication types also had the highest year-adjusted citation counts (4.7–10.0). Publication types with the lowest year-adjusted citation counts were editorial and case report (0.5–1.0). It was estimated that 12.5% of the publications labeled as case reports were incorrectly labeled.

Conclusions: Neuroimaging literature has been expanding with papers of higher levels of evidence, such as meta-analyses, multicenter studies, and randomized controlled trials.

Pre-service Science Teachers' Neuroscience Literacy: Neuromyths and a Professional Understanding of Learning and Memory

Transferring current research findings on the topic of learning and memory to “brain-based” learning in schools is of great interest among teachers. However, numerous international studies demonstrate that both pre-service and in-service teachers do not always succeed. Instead, they transfer numerous misconceptions about neuroscience, known as neuromyths, into pedagogical practice. As a result, researchers call for more neuroscience in teacher education in order to create a professional understanding of learning and memory. German pre-service science teachers specializing in biology complete neuroscientific modules (human biology/animal physiology) during their studies because they are expected to teach these topics to their students. Thus, they are required to demonstrate a certain degree of neuroscience literacy. In the present study, 550 pre-service science teachers were surveyed on neuromyths and scientific concepts about learning and memory. Pre-service science teachers’ scientific concepts increased over the course of their training. However, beliefs in neuromyths were independent of participants’ status within teacher education (first-year students, advanced students, and post-graduate trainees). The results showed that 10 neuromyths were endorsed by more than 50% of prospective science teachers. Beliefs in the existence of learning styles (93%) and the effectiveness of Brain Gym (92%) were most widespread. Many myths were endorsed even though a large share of respondents had thematically similar scientific concepts; endorsement of neuromyths was found to be largely independent of professional knowledge as well as theory-based and biography-based learning beliefs about neuroscience and learning. Our results suggest that neuromyths can exist in parallel to scientific concepts, professional knowledge and beliefs and are resistant to formal education. From the perspective of conceptual change theory, they thus exhibit characteristic traits of misconceptions that cannot simply be counteracted with increased neuroscientific knowledge. On the basis of our study’s findings, it can be concluded that new teacher programs considering neuromyths as change-resistant misconceptions are needed to professionalize pre-service science teachers’ neuroscience literacy. For this, an intensive web of exchange between the education field and neuroscientists is required, not just to deploy the latest scientific insights to refute neuromyths on learning and memory, but also to identify further neuromyths.