Motor Effects of Intervention With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Physiotherapy Treatment in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) often experience various limitations, particularly in gross motor function and activities of daily living. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that has been used to improve movement, gross motor function, and activities of daily living.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the potential additional effects of physiotherapy combined with tDCS in children with CP in comparison with physiotherapy only.

METHODS

This is a 2-arm randomized controlled trial that will compare the effects of tDCS as an adjunctive treatment during rehabilitation sessions to rehabilitation without tDCS. Children with CP classified by the Gross Motor Function Classification System as levels I and II will be randomly assigned to either the sham + rehabilitation group or the tDCS + rehabilitation group. The primary outcome will be the motor skills assessed using the Gross Motor Function Measure domain E scores, and the secondary outcome will be the measurement scores of the children's quality of life. The intervention will consist of a 10-day stimulation protocol with tDCS spread over 2 weeks, with stimulation or sham tDCS administered for 20 minutes at a frequency of 1 Hz, in combination with physiotherapy. Physical therapy exercises will be conducted in a circuit based on each child's baseline Gross Motor Function Measure results. The participants' changes will be evaluated and compared in both groups. Intervenient features will be tested.

RESULTS

Data collection is ongoing and is expected to be completed by January 2025. A homogeneous sample and clear outcomes may be a highlight of this protocol, which may allow us to understand the potential use of tDCS and for whom it should or should not be used.

CONCLUSIONS

A study with good evidence and clear outcomes in children with CP might open an avenue for the potential best use of neurostimulation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials RBR-104h4s4y; https://tinyurl.com/47r3x2e4.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/52922.

The association between research design and the perceived treatment effectiveness: a cross-sectional study

Objective

To evaluate the impact of research design on the perceived medical treatment effectiveness among researchers, healthcare workers (HCWs) and consumers in Croatia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to February 2022 using an online survey. The participants were researchers, HCWs and consumers from Croatia. The survey had six scenarios about the same medical treatment presented within different study designs and in random order. Participants were asked to assess on a scale from 1 to 10 if the descriptions presented a sufficient level of evidence to conclude that the treatment was effective.

Results

For researchers (n = 97), as the number of participants and degree of variable control in the study design increased, the perceived level of sufficient evidence also increased significantly. Among consumers (n = 286) and HCWs (n = 201), no significant differences in scores were observed between the cross-sectional study, cohort study, RCT, and systematic review.

Conclusion

There is a need to implement educational courses on basic research methodology in lower levels of education and as part of Continuing Medical Education for all stakeholders in the healthcare system. Trial registration: this study has been registered on the Open Science Framework prior to study commencement (https://osf.io/t7xmf).

Unlocking Resilience: How Physical Literacy Impacts Psychological Well-Being among Quarantined Researchers

This study investigates the interplay between physical literacy, resilience, and burnout among researchers who experienced strict home quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, with a particular focus on the mediating role of resilience. Employing a two-stage sampling procedure, a total of 363 researchers from diverse disciplines, notably social science and natural science, were enlisted and administered a series of validated scales, including the Perceived Physical Literacy Scale (PPL), the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), and the Chinese version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBL), via an anonymous online platform. The findings revealed substantial differences in physical literacy, resilience, and burnout across disciplines. Resilience partially mediated the relationship between physical literacy and burnout. Upon a closer examination of the sub-dimensions, resilience was found to fully mediate between factors of motivation, exhaustion, and disengagement. Moreover, one aspect of physical literacy-interaction with the environment-exhibited weaker correlations with both resilience and burnout compared to other dimensions of physical literacy. Overall, the study confirms the significant correlation between physical literacy and psychological parameters, establishing that elevated levels of both physical literacy and resilience serve as key factors in mitigating burnout during the pandemic.

Diana Scully's Legacy: Reflections From Former Students

Six former students of Dr. Diana Scully share their memories of her and reflections on how she influenced them personally and professionally.

Case Report-Driven Medical Education in Rural Family Medicine Education: A Thematic Analysis

Case-based education (CBE) is a teaching method in which learners work on real-life cases to learn and apply concepts and skills they have been taught. Case report-driven medical education using the CBE framework can effectively facilitate student and resident learning, and entice them to become involved in actual clinical practice. Specific case report-driven medical education methods and learning outcomes are not clarified. This study aimed to clarify the specific learning processes and outcomes of case report-driven medical education in rural community-based medical education. Using a qualitative design based on a thematic analysis approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The study participants were medical students and residents in training at a rural Japanese community hospital. Fifty-one case reports were completed and published in Cureus from April 2021 to March 2023. Participants learned about various difficulties related to volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in the medical care of various older patients, which increased their interest in family medicine. They appreciated the importance of case reports in academic careers and how their responsibilities as researchers increase with collaboration. Case report-driven medical education in community hospitals can drive medical students' and junior residents' learning regarding family medicine in the VUCA world.

Cervical Myelopathy and Social Media: Mixed Methods Analysis

BACKGROUND

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a progressive neurologic condition caused by age-related degeneration of the cervical spine. Social media has become a crucial part of many patients' lives; however, little is known about social media use pertaining to DCM.

OBJECTIVE

This manuscript describes the landscape of social media use and DCM in patients, caretakers, clinicians, and researchers.

METHODS

A comprehensive search of the entire Twitter application programing interface database from inception to March 2022 was performed to identify all tweets about cervical myelopathy. Data on Twitter users included geographic location, number of followers, and number of tweets. The number of tweet likes, retweets, quotes, and total engagement were collected. Tweets were also categorized based on their underlying themes. Mentions pertaining to past or upcoming surgical procedures were recorded. A natural language processing algorithm was used to assign a polarity score, subjectivity score, and analysis label to each tweet for sentiment analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, 1859 unique tweets from 1769 accounts met the inclusion criteria. The highest frequency of tweets was seen in 2018 and 2019, and tweets decreased significantly in 2020 and 2021. Most (888/1769, 50.2%) of the tweets' authors were from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada. Account categorization showed that 668 of 1769 (37.8%) users discussing DCM on Twitter were medical doctors or researchers, 415 of 1769 (23.5%) were patients or caregivers, and 201 of 1769 (11.4%) were news media outlets. The 1859 tweets most often discussed research (n=761, 40.9%), followed by spreading awareness or informing the public on DCM (n=559, 30.1%). Tweets describing personal patient perspectives on living with DCM were seen in 296 (15.9%) posts, with 65 (24%) of these discussing upcoming or past surgical experiences. Few tweets were related to advertising (n=31, 1.7%) or fundraising (n=7, 0.4%). A total of 930 (50%) tweets included a link, 260 (14%) included media (ie, photos or videos), and 595 (32%) included a hashtag. Overall, 847 of the 1859 tweets (45.6%) were classified as neutral, 717 (38.6%) as positive, and 295 (15.9%) as negative.

CONCLUSIONS

When categorized thematically, most tweets were related to research, followed by spreading awareness or informing the public on DCM. Almost 25% (65/296) of tweets describing patients' personal experiences with DCM discussed past or upcoming surgical interventions. Few posts pertained to advertising or fundraising. These data can help identify areas for improvement of public awareness online, particularly regarding education, support, and fundraising.

Research or teaching? That is the problem: A narrative inquiry into a Chinese college English teacher's cognitive development in the teaching-research nexus

This narrative inquiry traces a Chinese college English teacher's cognitive transformation in the teaching-research nexus over a 4-year time period from the perspective of sociocultural theory (SCT). Several stories were narrated based on the data from reflective journals, literature reading notes, and interaction notes to show how the participant walked out of the teaching-research contradiction and finally achieved professional development. The findings indicate that the college English teacher's perception of the research-teaching nexus developed when she actively exercised her agency to take part in social interactions in a supportive sociocultural environment with the regulation of appropriate mediational tools. The conceptual progress in the research-teaching nexus finally contributed to her professional development in both teaching and research. The findings of this study have implications for non-key universities and their academics on how to effectively promote teaching-research integration.

Walking side-by-side: Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to lead the way in alcohol research

Several initiatives have sought to increase the number of First Nations individuals with a higher degree in research (i.e., PhD or research masters)-in Australia and in similarly colonised countries. However, little has been written on day-to-day support structures and mechanisms that might help First Nations Australian candidates thrive in postgraduate research degrees and beyond. For sensitive research fields such as alcohol, emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers must grapple with topics which are stigmatising and in some instances associated with traumatic associations. There is also a lack of studies internationally that describe optimal support for First Nations students undertaking a higher degree by research with a primary focus on alcohol. Here we discuss what we have learned from the support offered through the Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol-from the perspective of academic staff, students, trainees and early career researchers. We consider what may be generalisable lessons from this experience.

Gender Inequalities in Citations of Articles Published in High-Impact General Medical Journals: a Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Besides the number of publications, the number of citations is another key metric often used to compare researchers with each other. While women researchers tend to have fewer publications than their men colleagues, the data is scarce for the number of citations. We aimed to determine whether there is a gender gap in citations.

METHODS

We used Web of Science to retrieve the number of citations per year for all research articles and reviews published between January 2015 and December 2019 in fourteen high-impact general medical journals (impact factor > 5). We used Gender API to identify the gender of the first/last authors. We compared the results by gender using multivariable negative binomial regressions (adjusting for intra-cluster correlations within journals).

RESULTS

The gender of the first/last author was determined for 13,218/13,350 (99%) and 11,894/12,026 (99%) articles, respectively. The proportion of women among first/last authors was 40% and 29%, respectively. The median number of citations per year was 5 (IQR = 11.3) for women and 6.8 (IQR = 17.8) for men for first authors (IRR = 1.5 [95% CI = 1.3-1.8], p value < 0.001), and 6 (IQR = 12.4) and 7.5 (IQR = 17.4) for last authors (IRR = 1.3 [95% CI = 1.2-1.5], p value < 0.001). Articles whose first and last authors were women were the least cited and those whose first and last authors were men were the most cited.

CONCLUSION

In this cross-sectional study, we found that articles authored by women were cited less often than those authored by men. Further studies are needed to explore the reasons for these gender differences in article citations.

Rethinking researcher bias in health research

Bias is an ambiguous term, defined in different ways. In conventional usage, it indicates unwarranted prejudice. However, in health research, the notion that bias is invariably bad is biased. Although research bias is an error that is always harmful, researcher bias is a tendency to think in a particular way that may obscure or illuminate attempts to address research questions. Researcher bias begins with pre-judgements whose continuing evaluation infuses the subjectivity of researchers as persons who are socially situated in health sciences focusing on human subjects. Two sets of conditions can make this bias in health researchers useful. The first is volume control. Researchers can vary the loudness of their own and other voices in different research environments. The second condition is smart working. It balances researcher bias against analytic thinking to work creatively with irregularity and uncertainty. Thus, health researchers need to bring their biases to consciousness. A dialectical approach can then engage the biases as conversational partners to innovate health policy that is informed by principles including transparency, good faith and tolerance. Less critical than whether researchers are biased is whose interests their bias serves given their positionality and role.

Toward a framework for understanding translation and interpreting teacher role identity

The purpose of this study was to present a translation and interpreting (T&I) teacher role identity (TITRI) framework for investigating how T&I teachers in China develop their role identities. There is a vast literature on language teacher identity in higher education compared to a paucity of literature on the development of T&I teacher identity. Developing a strong T&I teacher identity in the context of Chinese universities is challenging as teachers combine sub-roles of trainers/educators, researchers, and practitioners, and the context is more supportive of constructing a researcher role than trainer/educator and practitioner roles. A strong teacher identity, on the other hand, is vital since it enhances teachers' willingness to engage in professional development. This study proposes a framework based on the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) that describes how three sub-roles interact and contribute to overall T&I teacher identity. This work contributes to the scant literature on T&I teacher identity research, shedding light on how different role identities may interact throughout the professional careers of a teacher. Additionally, the framework may also foster an awareness of the impact of higher education on a teacher and, as a result, offer implications for universities in China to encourage the development of teacher identity.

Profile of brazilian research productivity grant holders with a background in pediatric dentistry

This study outlines the profile of research productivity grant holders of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development)] in the field of pediatric dentistry. A cross-sectional study with data collected from the Brazilian academic curriculum vitae database. The eligibility criterion was being a research productivity grant holder in pediatric dentistry from 2018 to 2020. In the period of interest, 215 individuals were research productivity grant holders in the field of dentistry, 33 of whom had graduate degrees (specialization, master's or doctorate) in pediatric dentistry. The period of scientific production and work concluded of advising of scientific initiation, master, doctoral and post-doctoral degrees was 2010 to 2020. Descriptive analysis was performed and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze associations (5% significance level) between productivity grant level (2, 1D, 1C, 1B or 1A) and year of obtainment of the doctoral degree. The VOSviewer (version 1.6.17) was used to present graphically the interinstitutional collaborations. The sample was composed of Level 2 researchers (66.7%), women (66.7%), researchers linked to institutions in the southeastern region of Brazil (81.8%), with a doctoral degree concluded prior to 2002 (51.5%), began working as a professor at a higher education institution prior to 2007 (78.8%) and the title of full professor (45.5%). No significant association was found between productivity grant level and year of conclusion of the doctoral degree (p = 0.10). Median (interquartile range) of scientific articles was 119 (37-312). The prevalence of citations (57.52%) and JCR articles (62.76%) was higher among female researchers. In conclusion, CNPq research productivity grant holders in pediatric dentistry are essentially represented by females from the southeast region of the country (UFMG and USP). However, males have proportionally greater productivity.

Choosing a health behaviour theory or model for related research projects: a narrative review

Background

Theories are integral to a research project, providing the logic underlying what, how, and/or why a particular phenomenon happens. Alternatively, models are used to guide a research project by representing theories and visualising the structural framework of causal pathways by showing the different levels of analysis. With the rise in chronic and behaviour-related diseases, health behaviour theories and models have a particular importance in designing appropriate and research led behavioural intervention strategies. However, there is a dearth of papers that explain the role of behavioural theories and models in research projects.

Aims

The aim of this paper is to synthesise existing evidence on the relevance of health behaviour theories and models in research projects.

Methods

This paper reviews health behaviour theories and models commonly underpinning research projects in public health and clinical practices. The electronic databases, such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus, as well as the search engines Google and Google Scholar were searched to identify health behaviour theories and models.

Results

Theories and models are essential in a research project. Theories provide the underlying reason for the occurrence of a phenomenon by explaining what the key drivers and outcomes of the target phenomenon are and why, and what underlying processes are responsible for causing that phenomenon. Models on the other hand provide guidance to a research project and assist in visualising the structural framework of causal pathways by showing the different levels of analysis. Health behaviour theories and models in particular offer valuable insights for designing effective and sustainable research projects for improved public health practice.

Conclusions

By employing appropriate health behaviour theory and/or model as a research framework, researchers will be able to identify relevant variables and translate these into clinical and public health practices.

[The cognitive status and aspects of life quality of the Russian researchers]

The publications analysis confirms necessity of studying both status of cognitive capacities of researchers and factors associated with cognitive aging.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

To assess cognitive functions and quality of life of researchers of state institutions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The single-stage section of state institutions was applied to arrange sampling of 53 researchers (28 females and 25 males) aged from 22 to 73 years. The respondents filled questionnaires "Cognitive screening", "Age is not a drawback", "Depression Geriatric Scale", "Russian validated version of QOL questionnaire SF-36".

RESULTS

As in general population, among researchers certain decrease in quality of life with age was established. The respondents aged from 50 to 59 years demonstrated lower indices on scales of physical functioning (p = 0.04), body pain (p = 0.03) and role functioning due to physical condition (p = 0.006). At that, indices of vital activity and social functioning tended to improvement with age. The cognitive impairments were absent in 96.23% of researchers aged from 22 to 73 years and they were present in 1.89% of respondents. In 47.17% of respondents aged from 22 to 67 years, no senile asthenia syndrome was observed. The preasthenia was registered in 39.62% of respondents aged from 24 to 69 years. The syndrome of senile asthenia was established in 11.32% of respondents aged 25-73 years. The depression was absent in 83.02% of respondents aged from 22 to 69 years and it was probably present in 7.55% of respondents aged from 25 to 33 and 49 years.

CONCLUSION

According to data of complex screening self-testing, it is established that current state of researchers is characterized by availability of complex of problems related to health disorders, decreased cognitive functions, development of premature aging syndrome and presence of significant number of risk factors of health disorders due to high frequency and combination of these factors. The relationship between cognitive functions and quality of life of researchers is established, in particular, according to scales "Physical functioning", "General health", "Vitality", "Social functioning", "Mental health".

Expectations of Health Researchers From Academic Social Network Sites: Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Today, academic social network sites' role in improving the quality of education and how investigators conduct their research has become more critical.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate Iranian health researchers' requirements for academic social network sites from a low-income country perspective.

METHODS

This qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was done in 2020. In this study, 23 researchers in the health system were selected by purposive sampling. Semistructured interviews were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by MaxQDA-10 software and the content analysis method.

RESULTS

We identified 2 categories of functional and technical characteristics in the study participants' expectations. Functional characteristics included facilitating communication and team activities, managing scientific publications, enhancing the process of conducting research, being informative, and sharing and trading laboratory materials and equipment. Technical characteristics of an academic social network include user management capabilities, high security and privacy, being user-friendly, and other technical features.

CONCLUSIONS

Health researchers emphasized 2 functional and technical characteristics required to meet academic social network sites' expectations.

What Do Biomedical Researchers Want from Biobanks? Results of an Online Survey

Aims: The purpose of biobanking is to provide biospecimens and associated data to researchers, yet the perspectives of biobank research users have been under-investigated. This study aimed to ascertain biobank research users' needs and opinions about biobanking services. Methods: An online survey was developed, which requested information about researcher demographics, localities of biobanks accessed, methods of sourcing biospecimens, and opinions on topics including but not limited to, application processes, data availability, access fees, and return of research results. There were 27 multiple choice/check box questions, 4 questions with a 10-point Likert scale, and 8 questions with provision for further comment. A web link for the survey was distributed to researchers in late 2019/early 2020 in four Australian states: New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia. Results: Respondents were generally satisfied with biobank application processes and the fit for purpose of received biospecimens/data. Nonetheless, most researchers (n = 61/99, 62%) reported creating their own collections owing to gaps in sample availability and a perceived increase in efficiency. Most accessed biobanks (n = 58/74, 78%) were in close proximity (local or intrastate) to the researcher. Most researchers had limited the scope of their research owing to difficulty of obtaining biospecimens (n = 55/86, 64%) and/or data (n = 52/85, 60%), with the top three responses for additional types of data required being "more long term follow up data," "more clinical data," and "more linked government data." The top influence to use a particular biobank was cost, and the most frequently suggested improvement was reduced direct "cost of obtaining biospecimens." Conclusion: Biobanks that do not meet the needs of their end-users are unlikely to be optimally utilized or sustainable. This survey provides valuable insights to guide biobanks and other stakeholders, such as developing marketing and client engagement plans to encourage local research users and discouraging the creation of unnecessary new collections.

The Association Between Professional Accounts on Social Networks Twitter and ResearchGate and the Number of Scientific Publications and Citations Among Anesthesia Researchers: Observational Study

BACKGROUND

Social networks are now essential tools for promoting research and researchers. However, there is no study investigating the link between presence or not on professional social networks and scientific publication or citation for a given researcher.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to study the link between professional presence on social networks and scientific publications/citations among anesthesia researchers.

METHODS

We included all the French full professors and associate professors of anesthesia. We analyzed their presence on the social networks Twitter (professional account with ≥1 tweet over the 6 previous months) and ResearchGate. We extracted their bibliometric parameters for the 2016-2020 period via the Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics) database in the Science Citation Index-Expanded index.

RESULTS

A total of 162 researchers were analyzed; 42 (25.9%) had an active Twitter account and 110 (67.9%) a ResearchGate account. There was no difference between associate professors and full professors regarding active presence on Twitter (8/23 [35%] vs. 34/139 [24.5%], respectively; P=.31) or ResearchGate (15/23 [65%] vs. 95/139 [68.3%], respectively; P=.81). Researchers with an active Twitter account (median [IQR]) had more scientific publications (45 [28-61] vs. 26 [12-41]; P<.001), a higher h-index (12 [8-16] vs. 8 [5-11]; P<.001), a higher number of citations per publication (12.54 [9.65-21.8] vs. 10.63 [5.67-16.10]; P=.01), and a higher number of citations (563 [321-896] vs. 263 [105-484]; P<.001). Researchers with a ResearchGate account (median [IQR]) had more scientific publications (33 [17-47] vs. 26 [9-43]; P=.03) and a higher h-index (9 [6-13] vs. 8 [3-11]; P=.03). There was no difference between researchers with a ResearchGate account and those without it concerning the number of citations per publication and overall number of citations. In multivariate analysis including sex, academic status, and presence on social networks, the presence on Twitter was associated with the number of publications (β=20.2; P<.001), the number of citations (β=494.5; P<.001), and the h-index (β=4.5; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Among French anesthesia researchers, an active presence on Twitter is associated with higher scientific publication and citations.

Vulnerability and Resilience in Sensitive Research: The Case of the Quantitative Researcher

The emotional experiences of quantitative researchers, particularly while conducting sensitive research, are largely neglected. This article aims to advance the awareness of possible emotional strains for quantitative researchers engaged in sensitive research. It qualitatively assesses the ethical and emotional experiences of quantitative researchers conducting a study on aging of bereaved parents and people with a physical disability. Based on the detailed minutes of 66 weekly research meetings held during 2015-2017, a thematic analysis of the researchers' experiences was performed. Our analysis identified two main themes: vulnerability and resilience. We delineate these themes, along with their subthemes and affinity to vicarious traumatization, moral stress, and vicarious posttraumatic growth. The current study is among the first to introduce the emotional and ethical experiences of the quantitative researcher. Tentative recommendations for the advancement of the researcher's safety and well-being by training, institutional support, self-care skills, and policy development are provided.

Factors related to the international research collaboration in the health area: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

International research collaboration (IRC) is known as one of the important indicators of productivity, efficiency, and validity of universities in the world. In other words, IRC is necessary for the scientific trade-off between researchers in international scientific societies. The study aimed to address the experiences of an academic researcher about factors related to IRC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study was conducted using a qualitative approach and conventional content analysis method. The participants consisted of 19 experienced faculty members and researchers from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, who were selected based on the purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using the content analysis technique. Guba and Lincoln's evaluative criteria, including credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability, were applied to evaluate the trustworthiness of the study.

RESULTS

According to the research findings, factors of "personal skills," "personality," "professional position," and "scientific activities" under the category of personal factors; "rules and regulations" and "equipment and facilities" under the organizational factors; and "domestic policies" and "foreign policies" were identified under the government factors category.

CONCLUSION

Research collaborations are influenced by individual, intra-academic, and extra-academic factors; thus, research policymakers can help further to enhance the quantity and quality of scientific output and promote the university's placing in international rankings through providing conditions that enable international interactions.

Knowledge mobilization in bridging patient-practitioner-researcher boundaries: A systematic integrative review

AIM

To review when, how, and in what context knowledge mobilization (KMb) has crossed patient-practitioner-researcher boundaries.

BACKGROUND

KMb is essential in contemporary health care, yet little is known about how patients are engaged.

DESIGN

Integrative review.

DATA SOURCES

Ten academic databases and grey literature.

REVIEW METHODS

We followed integrative review methodology to identify publications from 2006-2019 which contributed to understanding of cross-boundary KMb. We extracted data using a bespoke spreadsheet and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) framework. We used meta-summary to organize key findings.

RESULTS

Thirty-three papers collectively provide new insights into 'when' and 'how' KMb has crossed patient-researcher-practitioner boundaries and the impact this has achieved. Knowledge is mobilized to improve care, promote health, or prevent ill health. Most studies focus on creating or re-shaping knowledge to make it more useful. Knowledge is mobilized in small community groups, in larger networks, and intervention studies. Finding the right people to engage in activities is crucial, as activities can be demanding and time-consuming. Devolving power to communities and using local people to move knowledge can be effective. Few studies report definitive outcomes of KMb.

CONCLUSION

Cross-boundary KMb can and does produce new and shared knowledge for health care. Positive outcomes can be achieved using diverse public engagement strategies. KMb process and theory is an emerging discipline, further research is needed on effective cross-boundary working and on measuring the impact of KMb.

IMPACT

This review provides new and nuanced understandings of how KMb theory has been used to bridge patient-researcher-practitioner boundaries. We have assessed 'how', 'when', and in what context patients, practitioners and researchers have attempted to mobilize knowledge and identified impact. We have developed a knowledge base about good practice and what can and potentially should be avoided in cross-boundary KMb.

Should the deceased be listed as authors?

Sometimes participants in research collaboration die before the paper is accepted for publication. The question we raise in this paper is how authorship should be handled in such situations. First, the outcome of a literature survey is presented. Taking this as our starting point, we then go on to discuss authorship of the dead in relation to the requirements of the Vancouver rules. We argue that in principle the deceased can meet the requirements laid down in these authorship guidelines. However, to include a deceased researcher as author requires a strong justification. The more the person has been involved in the research and writing process before he or she passes away, the stronger the justification for inclusion.

Investigating SSH Research and Publication Practices in Disciplinary and Institutional Contexts. A Survey-Based Comparative Approach in Two Universities

In this paper, we comparatively analyze, present and discuss the results from a survey on increasing the visibility of research achievements in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) that was carried out at the University of Vienna (Austria) and the University of Navarra (Spain) in 2016 and 2017. Covering four major topics—searching and finding literature, publishing, the visibility of research, and the assessment of research outputs—we ask the following questions: are there disciplinary differences to be identified, and how do they present themselves in the two institutional contexts? Discussing the results, we showcase how disciplinary and institutional traditions and contexts are important factors that influence research and publication practices in the SSH. Our results indicate that the practices of searching and finding literature as well as publication practices and behavior are shaped by disciplinary traditions and epistemic cultures. On the contrary, assessment and valuation of research outputs are influenced by institutional and national contexts in which SSH research is organized and carried out.

Impact of a remotely delivered, writing for publication program on publication outcomes of novice researchers

INTRODUCTION

Increased publication of clinician-led health research is important for improving patient care and health outcomes. The aim of this retrospective cohort study conducted in rural Australia was to determine the impact of a writing for publication (WFP) program delivered by teleconference on the publication rates and skill acquisition of novice researchers who have graduated from the New South Wales (NSW) Health Education and Training Institute Rural Research Capacity Building Program (RRCBP).

METHODS

Between 2012 and 2015, eight WFP 'bootcamp' programs were offered by the New South Wales Health Education and Training Institute to 112 RRCBP graduates, resulting in 50 participants completing at least one bootcamp. Participants completed a once-weekly WFP group teleconference for six consecutive weeks, and were expected to complete homework activities between sessions and participate in two follow-up teleconferences within 3 months of program conclusion. The primary outcome measure was manuscript publication resulting from participation in bootcamp, with secondary measures being changes in skills, knowledge and confidence in WFP, publication rate and cost per publication.

RESULTS

Twenty-one participants (42%) published their bootcamp paper or a related paper that directly resulted from bootcamp WFP skills. Five other participants submitted their bootcamp manuscript for publication, but had not yet had it accepted for publication. The overall publication rate of RRCBP graduates who completed bootcamp was 0.80 compared to 0.23 who did not complete bootcamp. On a 1 to 5 scale, mean scores increased for writing (knowledge, experience, confidence) from 2.0 to 3.5 (p<0.01) and for publishing from 1.1 to 3.4 (p<0.01). The estimated cost incurred by the RRCBP to deliver the program was $230 per publication.

CONCLUSION

WFP workshops delivered by teleconference support rural clinician researchers to improve their skills in writing and publishing. A remotely conducted WFP program was effective in increasing publication rates among novice researchers who had conducted a clinically based research project. This shows that novice researchers respond to similar intervention features as experienced researchers do when engaging with WFP, and that WFP outcomes can be increased substantially with modest investment of funding and resources by the host organisation.

Ethics approval: responsibilities of journal editors, authors and research ethics committees

Meaningful progress of medicine depends on research that must ultimately involve human subjects. Obtaining ethical approval therefore, especially in medical sciences, should be a moral reflex for researchers. This unfortunately is not the case, with numerous researchers bypassing the ethics approval procedure, or simply unaware of its importance. Good research involves risks taken by research participants and uses tax payers' money in the process. These mandates the research endeavor to aim at attaining the highest degree of respect for the sacrifices made by others for science. Most researchers mistake scientific clearance or approval, for ethics approval. For a study to be ethical sound, it must be scientifically sound. This is only one of the activities carried out during protocol review. It is not uncommon for sensitive ethical concerns, especially in the social sciences to be overlooked and considered not to be accompanied by any serious risks for the research participants.The researcher has the responsibility of systematically consulting the competent ethics committee for advice and consequent approvals or ethical waivers. Journal editors and reviewers have the duty to systematically evaluate the ethical soundness of manuscripts submitted for review. Capacity building in research ethics and institutional support for Research Ethics Committees to speed up protocol review could reduce the incentive of carrying out research in human subjects without ethics approvals. It is hypocritical and idle to continue to expect optimal reviews on time and of good quality, from ethics committees functioning purely on altruistic grounds. Capacity building for researchers in research ethics, and institutional reforms and support for Research Ethics Committees appear not to have received the attention they truly deserve.

Researchers: share your passion for science!

The promotion of the public understanding of science has many positive impacts on society, including expanding the reach of science to a broader range of individuals and having a favourable impact on the economy. It also results in many benefits for researchers involved, including the development of their communication skills and improvement in the quality of their research. Despite increased awareness of the importance of public engagement (PE), the involvement of researchers has only slightly increased in the last 10 years. Time constraints, lack of opportunity and lack of funding are the main barriers preventing their participation. We propose that joining an existing PE programme can be a good way for scientists to overcome these barriers. We list specific examples of established activities that are easy for researchers to get involved in, allowing them to share their enthusiasm for science.

What are the personal and professional characteristics that distinguish the researchers who publish in high- and low-impact journals? A multi-national web-based survey

PURPOSE

This study identifies the personal and professional profiles of researchers with a greater potential to publish high-impact academic articles.

METHOD

The study involved conducting an international survey of journal authors using a web-based questionnaire. The survey examined personal characteristics, funding, and the perceived barriers of research quality, work-life balance, and satisfaction and motivation in relation to career. The processes of manuscript writing and journal publication were measured using an online questionnaire that was developed for this study. The responses were compared between the two groups of researchers using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 269 questionnaires were analysed. The researchers shared some common perceptions; both groups reported that they were seeking recognition (or to be leaders in their areas) rather than financial remuneration. Furthermore, both groups identified time and funding constraints as the main obstacles to their scientific activities. The amount of time that was spent on research activities, having >5 graduate students under supervision, never using text editing services prior to the publication of articles, and living in a developed and English-speaking country were the independent variables that were associated with their article getting a greater chance of publishing in a high-impact journal. In contrast, using one's own resources to perform studies decreased the chance of publishing in high-impact journals.

CONCLUSIONS

The researchers who publish in high-impact journals have distinct profiles compared with the researchers who publish in low-impact journals. English language abilities and the actual amount of time that is dedicated to research and scientific writing, as well as aspects that relate to the availability of financial resources are the factors that are associated with a successful researcher's profile.

[Improving the researchers' compliance and the quality of clinical study on acupuncture and moxibustion:thoughts on the role conflict between doctors and researchers]

The coordination and collaboration of many links are required to achieve the successful development of a high-quality clinical randomized controlled trial, in which, the compliance of the researchers affects the ultimate results and quality of the study since it is responsible for the safety and benefits of subjects in the trials and study quality. Focusing on the researchers' compliance, it is believed that the improvements in the researchers' compliance are very significant in the implementation of study scheme. At present, commonly, the researchers are of the low compliance, manifest as failure to obey the study scheme (such as inclusive criteria, enrollment sequence), failure to obey the rules of operation and data collection, failure to store the original documents but to modify the data, failure to report timely adverse events, etc. In view of clinical research monitors, the reasons on the low compliance are analyzed and the solutions are proposed.

Phronesis: Beyond the Research Ethics Committee-A Crucial Decision-Making Skill for Health Researchers During Community Research

Health researchers conducting research in the community are often faced with unanticipated ethical issues that arise in the course of their research and that go beyond the scope of ethical approval by the research ethics committee. Eight expert researchers were selected through extreme intensity purposive sampling, because they are representative of unusual manifestations of the phenomenon related to their research in the community. They were selected to take part in a semi-structured focus group discussion on whether practical wisdom (phronesis) is used as a decision-making skill to solve unanticipated ethical issues during research in the community. Although the researchers were not familiar with the concept phronesis, it became obvious that it formed an integral part of their everyday existence and decision making during intervention research. They could balance research ethics with practical considerations. The capacity of practical wisdom as a crucial decision-making skill should be assimilated into a researcher's everyday reality, and also into the process of mentoring young researchers to become phronimos. Researchers should be taught this skill to handle unanticipated ethical issues.

Interviewing therapists about working with sexual assault survivors: researcher and therapist perspectives

This article provides an account of the author's experience interviewing clinicians about their work with sexual assault survivors and clinicians' experiences working with this population. Twelve clinicians who worked with sexual assault survivors practicing in a range of professional settings completed semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Grounded theory and open-coding analyses were conducted on the researcher's log, case summaries, and verbatim-transcribed interview transcripts to uncover themes regarding (a) the researcher's experience of the interviewees and (b) the therapists' reports of their experiences working with survivors. Conclusions are drawn for researchers conducting interviews with therapists and clinicians working with sexual assault survivors.

Skype interviewing: the new generation of online synchronous interview in qualitative research

The most commonly used method for data collection in qualitative research is interviewing. With technology changes over the last few decades, the online interview has overcome time and financial constraints, geographical dispersion, and physical mobility boundaries, which have adversely affected onsite interviews. Skype as a synchronous online service offers researchers the possibility of conducting individual interviews as well as small focus groups, comparable to onsite types. This commentary presents the characteristics of the Skype interview as an alternative or supplemental choice to investigators who want to change their conventional approach of interviewing.