Article
Biology
Adrian Barnett, Katie Page, Carly Dyer, Susanna Cramb
Summary: The study reveals concerns among Australian researchers regarding disclosing career disruptions in funding applications and inconsistency among peer reviewers in adjusting for such disruptions. This may contribute to the ongoing funding gap for senior women in Australia.
Editorial Material
Biology
Michael A. Taffe
Summary: Concealing the identity of the principal investigator helps reduce the success gap between white and African American or Black researchers in NIH grant applications, but it does not completely eliminate it.
Review
Management
Thomas Feliciani, Michael Morreau, Junwen Luo, Pablo Lucas, Kalpana Shankar
Summary: This study aims to explore how factors relating to grades and grading affect the correctness of choices made by review panels among submitted proposals, and identify interventions in panel design that can increase the correctness of choices. The results of the experiment indicate that increasing the number of grades used by panel members and giving panels a greater capacity for discriminating among proposals can improve the correctness of choices, while differences in grading standards among panel members do not significantly decrease correctness.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Martin Dresler
Summary: Receiving research grants is a highlight of academic career, but the process of acquiring funding is often disliked by many researchers. The current research funding system is inefficient and needs improvement. A simple, fair and widely supported alternative is to distribute funding more equally among researchers and implement quality control through postponed peer review using open science practices.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Education & Educational Research
Sayaka Sato, Pascal Mark Gygax, Julian Randall, Marianne Schmid Mast
Summary: The literature on gender inequality in academia highlights the challenges faced by female researchers during their academic careers, especially in the peer review process of research grant funding. While some argue for the existence of gender bias, others demonstrate gender equality in these processes. More comprehensive research is needed to further the debate, addressing individual and systemic biases as well as global social barriers. Special attention should be given to the critical methodological challenges in examining gender biases during grant peer reviews. The paper concludes by suggesting directions for future research to improve grant funding opportunities and career paths for female researchers.
Article
Communication
Maria Latos, Frank Lobigs, Holger Wormer
Summary: Financing high-quality journalism is becoming more challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Maintaining independence is crucial, and the transfer of established funding models from scientific research to journalism lacks systematic approaches. This study proposes the German Research Foundation as a model and suggests the creation of a German Journalism Foundation, which would provide funding through a peer review process.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jenna E. Koblinski, Adina Greene, Jaxon K. Quillen, Nan Zhang, Ilana S. Rosman, Shari A. Ochoa, Collin M. Costello
Summary: Dermatology is a highly competitive field, and many applicants choose to do research years to enhance their competitiveness. This study aimed to determine the financial costs of a research year and investigate the variations in costs among different demographic groups. Through anonymous surveys, we found that the median total cost of a research fellowship ($26,443.20) exceeded the median fellowship income ($23,625.00). Additionally, minority respondents had lower income and higher net fellowship cost. The study highlights the need to address funding disparities and reconsider the importance of research fellowships in the dermatology residency selection process.
JOURNAL OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Tania Henriquez
Summary: This article discusses the significance of peer review in scientific publishing and explores the impact of open peer review on the review process and specific groups like early career researchers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Misha Teplitskiy, Hao Peng, Andrea Blasco, Karim R. Lakhani
Summary: This study investigates the association between novelty and manuscript acceptance, finding that higher novelty is consistently associated with higher acceptance. Disagreement among peer reviewers was not related to novelty or conventionality, and editors tend to select manuscripts with higher novelty. This challenges the perception that peer review is inherently resistant to novelty.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael S. Bernstein, Margaret Levi, David Magnus, Betsy A. Rajala, Debra Satz, Charla Waeiss
Summary: Researchers across different fields must now consider societal risks posed by their studies, not just risks to individual participants. The Ethics and Society Review board requires researchers to outline risks their research may pose to society, subgroups, and globally, and develop strategies to address these risks. A mixed-method evaluation of the ESR found that it positively influenced researchers' project designs by highlighting issues such as harms to minority groups and the importance of diverse stakeholder inclusion.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Axel Philipps
Summary: The bold idea of random grant allocation is debated as an alternative to peer review. An online survey of PhD holders reveals that most scientists are against pure randomness but willing to try random elements if combined with peer review.
SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY
(2022)
Article
Management
Thijs Bol, Mathijs de Vaan, Arnout van de Rijt
Summary: Previous studies have shown no systematic differences in funding rates between female and male scientists in international grant competitions. However, a new study reveals that men receive higher evaluation scores, but that this gender difference is neutralized by panels giving lower scores to women to achieve gender equality in funding distribution, reallocating funds back to women.
Article
Surgery
Hanjay Wang, Simar S. Bajaj, Kiah M. Williams, Joshua M. Pickering, Joseph C. Heiler, Keerthi Manjunatha, Christian T. O'Donnell, Mark Sanchez, Jack H. Boyd
Summary: The study found that academic adult cardiac surgeons who pursued advanced clinical fellowships exhibited similar research productivity and career advancement as those who did not pursue additional clinical training. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of total publications, H-index, frequency of NIH grant funding, and time to achieve full professor rank.
Article
Ophthalmology
Alexander M. Rusakevich, Nicholas J. Protopsaltis, Rajesh C. Rao, Daniel L. Chao, Glenn Yiu
Summary: The study found that success in research funding by clinician-scientists in ophthalmology may be linked to institutional support and earlier acquisition of extramural grants, but does not impact academic salaries. Nevertheless, career satisfaction among clinician-scientists improves with time.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paivi Tynjala, Matti Pennanen, Ilona Markkanen, Hannu L. T. Heikkinen
Summary: The Finnish model of peer-group mentoring is based on constructivist learning theory and aims to promote professional development of teachers and educational staff, showing benefits for individual professional learning and well-being. However, challenges arise from the lack of national agreement and allocation of working time for mentors and mentees.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ethics
Anna M. Scott, E. Ann Bryant, Jennifer A. Byrne, Natalie Taylor, Adrian G. Barnett
Summary: The analysis of the petition comments revealed that signatories were primarily concerned with changes to the research ethics and governance system, the drawbacks of the existing system, suggestions for improvements, anticipated impacts of changes, and miscellaneous issues.
JOURNAL OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Emma Shipton, Nina Meloncelli, Michael D'Emden, H. David McIntyre, Leonie Callaway, Adrian Barnett, Susan de Jersey
Summary: This qualitative study aimed to explore women's perspectives and understanding of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening and diagnosis, comparing the modified COVID-19 recommendations to the standard practices. The results showed that women preferred the modified GDM screening recommendations put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also expressed a strong need for clear communication from health professionals and the opportunity to be active participants in decision making.
AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Richard G. McGee, Lara E. Graves, Adrian Barnett
Summary: This study examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timing of manuscript submissions to The Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health (JPCH), and found that the pandemic had limited impact on submission timing but submission timing influenced the likelihood of a positive editorial decision.
JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Sport Sciences
David N. Borg, Adrian G. Barnett, Aaron R. Caldwell, Nicole M. White, Ian B. Stewart
Summary: This study aimed to examine the bias for statistical significance using published confidence intervals in sport and exercise medicine research. The abstracts of 48,390 articles published in 18 sports and exercise medicine journals between 2002 and 2022 were analyzed. The results revealed a bias for statistical significance and an excess of published research with statistically significant results just below the standard significance threshold of 0.05.
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE IN SPORT
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jeffrey Javidfar, Akram M. Zaaqoq, Ahmed Labib, Adrian G. Barnett, J. W. Awori Hayanga, Greg Eschun, Michael H. Yamashita, Jeffrey P. Jacobs, Silver Heinsar, Jacky Y. Suen, John F. Fraser, Gianluigi Li Bassi, Rakesh C. Arora, Giles J. Peek
Summary: Obesity is linked to a worse prognosis in COVID-19 patients with ARDS. It remains unclear how morbid obesity directly affects patients treated with V-V ECMO.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mara Violato, Jack Pollard, Andrew M. Lloyd, Laurence S. J. Roope, Raymond Duch, Matias Fuentes Becerra, Philip Clarke
Summary: This study aimed to assess the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the general population. The study found that the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant reduction in HRQoL for more than one-third of respondents, especially among younger people and females. Overall, there was an 8% reduction in perceived HRQoL, and the health burden due to morbidity was considerably higher than that due to COVID-19-related mortality.
Article
Medical Ethics
Adrian G. Barnett, David N. Borg, Paul Glasziou, Emma Beckett
Summary: Research Integrity Advisors in Australia provide impartial guidance to researchers and are an important part of creating a safe environment for discussing research integrity issues and resolving them. A census revealed that there are 739 advisors nationally, with an overall positive attitude towards the role. However, some advisors lack proper training and institutional support, indicating a need for improvement.
ACCOUNTABILITY IN RESEARCH-ETHICS INTEGRITY AND POLICY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Michelle J. Allen, Rachael Doran, David Brain, Elizabeth E. Powell, James O'Beirne, Patricia C. Valery, Adrian Barnett, Ruvini Hettiarachchi, Ingrid J. Hickman, Sanjeewa Kularatna
Summary: This study aimed to identify the attributes and levels for preference research on chronic liver disease screening programs to understand patient preferences.
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Lee-Ling Lim, Alia Abdul Aziz, Helen Dakin, John Buckell, Yuan-Liang Woon, Laurence Roope, Arunah Chandran, Feisul I. Mustapha, Edward W. Gregg, Philip M. Clarke
Summary: We examined the 10-year all-cause mortality trends in the diagnosed type 2 diabetes population in West Malaysia. The overall mortality rates remained unchanged, but there were increases in certain age and gender groups. Higher mortality rates were observed in individuals with longer disease duration, prior cardiovascular disease, and of Malay/native ethnicity. The standardized mortality ratios were higher in younger age groups and showed an increasing trend in those with longer disease duration or prior cardiovascular disease.
DIABETES RESEARCH AND CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Robin Blythe, Rex Parsons, Adrian G. Barnett, Steven M. McPhail, Nicole M. White
Summary: This study investigated the impact of repeated measures and missing data on the development of clinical deterioration prediction models using electronic medical record data from five Australian hospitals. The results showed that the variability of vital signs and patient consciousness were associated with missing data. Summary statistics and imputation methods improved model discrimination, but the clinical significance of these differences is questionable.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Nina J. L. Meloncelli, Adrian G. Barnett, Cate M. Cameron, David Mcintyre, Leonie K. Callaway, Michael C. d'Emden, Susan J. de Jersey
Summary: The study aimed to determine whether excluding gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on fasting venous plasma glucose (FVPG) assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had similar perinatal outcomes compared to excluding GDM using the standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) procedure in the previous year. The results showed that the frequencies of most perinatal outcomes were similar for women without GDM in 2019 and those for whom it was excluded in 2020 based on FVPG values. However, there was an increase in the risk of caesarean delivery in 2020 compared to 2019. The probabilities of several outcomes, such as respiratory distress, neonatal intensive care or special nursery admission, and large for gestational age babies, were slightly higher for women without GDM in 2020 compared to women without GDM in 2019.
MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dylan Flaws, Chelsea Allen, Stuart Baker, Adrian Barnett, Olivia Metcalf, Hamish Pollock, Mahesh Ramanan, Alexis Tabah, Tracey Varker
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of incorporating a psychiatric review into an existing post-ICU follow-up process. The study will run for 12 months, recruiting 30 participants at Redcliffe Hospital. Participants will be allocated to intervention or control, with the intervention group receiving psychiatric assessment and treatment. The study will assess the effectiveness of the intervention and inform future research.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Adrian Barnett, Jennifer Byrne
BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Philip Clarke, Andrew Leigh
Review
Health Policy & Services
Sumudu A. Hewage, Rini Noviyani, David Brain, Pakhi Sharma, William Parsonage, Steven M. Mcphail, Adrian Barnett, Sanjeewa Kularatna
Summary: This study assessed the methodological quality of economic evaluations on stroke prevention strategies for atrial fibrillation patients. The results showed that LAAC is a cost-effective strategy for preventing stroke in atrial fibrillation patients. However, the study identified shortcomings in the methodological quality, which raise concerns about the reliability and validity of the results.
COST EFFECTIVENESS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION
(2023)
