Good Research Practice Research Articles

From a variety of ethics to the integrity and congruence of research on biodiversity conservation.

This article aims to find the elements that are required for a common ethical approach that is suitable for the different perspectives adopted in integrative biodiversity conservation research. A general reflection on the integrity of research is a priority worldwide, with a common aim to promote good research practice. Beyond the relationship between researcher and research subject, the integrity of research is considered in a broader perspective which entails scientific integrity towards society. In research involving a variety of disciplines and a diversity of legal and ethical frameworks, there is a need of harmony between different sets of values. The notion of congruence (or more pragmatically, alignment) reflects the consistency of ethics in research within the biodiversity conservation's community of researchers. It also bears on the coherence of values shared between the scientific community and society. We examine the notion of research integrity in a broad sense. This examination is to be conducted in relation to the goal of protecting ecological integrity, which is at the core of biodiversity conservation. The notion of integrity constraints should be investigated further to develop a pragmatic response to the need for integrity and congruence in research for biodiversity conservation.

Continued Citation of Retracted Radiation Oncology Literature—Do We Have a Problem?

The purpose of this study was to quantify the number and explore the nature of citations of retracted articles in the radiation oncology literature occurring after publication of the retraction note. A list of previously identified retracted articles within the field of radiation oncology was updated in June 2017. The number of publications citingretracted articles was quantified using Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus. Studies citing retracted publications after publication of the retraction note were individually assessed to determine the nature of the reference. Forty-seven retracted articles were identified for this study. Thirty-seven studies (79%) received 1017 citations before retraction, and 34 articles (72%) received 407 English and 169 foreign-language citations afterward. The average number of citations dropped from 22 to 11 after publication of the retraction note (95% confidence interval, 0.3-21.0, P=.043). Most postretraction citations occurred during the second year after the article's retraction, originated from North America and Asia (N=124 each, 31%) and Europe (N=122, 30%), and featured in original articles (N=254, 62%) and reviews (N=73, 18%). Of the 358 individually evaluable citing studies, 92% referenced the retracted article as legitimate work. Three guidelines and 15 systematic reviews and meta-analyses were also identified that cited retracted articles as valid work. Postretraction citations are an avoidable phenomenon. The results of the study emphasize the need for investigators to adhere to good research practices to mitigate the influence and propagation of flawed and unethical research. Journal editors, peer reviewers, and the broader radiation oncology readership should remain diligent in ensuring that citations of retracted work are identified and removed before, during, and possibly even after publication.

Should social scientists be distanced from or engaged with the people they study?

This commentary focuses on two important contrasts in the behavioral sciences: (i) default versus nondefault study populations, where default samples have been used disproportionately (for psychology, the default is undergraduates at major research universities), and (ii) the adoption of a distant versus close (engaged) attitude toward study samples. Previous research has shown a strong correlation between these contrasts, where default samples and distant perspectives are the norm. Distancing is sometimes seen as necessary for objectivity, and an engaged orientation is sometimes criticized as biased, advocacy research, especially if the researcher shares a social group membership with the study population (e.g., a black male researcher studying black male students). The lack of diversity in study samples has been paralleled by a lack of diversity in the researchers themselves. The salience of default samples and distancing in prior research creates potential (and presumed) risk factors for engaged research with nondefault samples. However, a distant perspective poses risks as well, and particularly so for research with nondefault populations. We suggest that engaged research can usefully encourage attention to the study context and taking the perspective of study samples, both of which are good research practices. More broadly, we argue that social and educational sciences need skepticism, interestedness, and engagement, not distancing. Fostering an engaged perspective in research may also foster a more diverse population of social scientists.

Methodology for the construction of research agendas in academic engineering programs

A collective project was developed to build research agendas for academic programs; as a prospective strategy to prioritize areas of action, use of resources and institutional capacities in a relationship between the university and the productive sectors of the region, from the development of intervention and study strategies, in 11 training scenarios. A collaborative and interdisciplinary methodology in the analysis of documents related to development, science and technology, allowed identifying common productive sectors of interinstitutional interest for the development of engineering programs of Systems and Industrial Engineering, analyzing their performance, good practices in research, technological surveillance of research centers, prioritize emerging thematic areas, build research intervention strategies and generate project profiles. The strategy gives greater relevance to the training of professionals, establishes a path of knowledge construction in areas of interest; that immersed in the curriculum plan; allow articulating research units in framework projects by research lines. The article presents significant aspects of the methodological route in the construction of these agendas, focused on two academic programs of the faculty of engineering.

Conceptual model for the health technology assessment of current and novel interventions in rheumatoid arthritis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate current approaches to economic modeling in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and propose a new conceptual model for evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of RA interventions. We followed recommendations from the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research-Society of Medical Decision Making (ISPOR-SMDM) Modeling Good Research Practices Task Force-2. The process involved scoping the decision problem by a working group and drafting a preliminary cost-effectiveness model framework. A systematic literature review (SLR) of existing decision-analytic models was performed and analysis of an RA registry was conducted to inform the structure of the draft conceptual model. Finally, an expert panel was convened to seek input on the draft conceptual model. The proposed conceptual model consists of three separate modules: 1) patient characteristic module, 2) treatment module, and 3) outcome module. Consistent with the scope, the conceptual model proposed six changes to current economic models in RA. These changes proposed are to: 1) use composite measures of disease activity to evaluate treatment response as well as disease progression (at least two measures should be considered, one as the base case and one as a sensitivity analysis); 2) conduct utility mapping based on disease activity measures; 3) incorporate subgroups based on guideline-recommended prognostic factors; 4) integrate realistic treatment patterns based on clinical practice/registry datasets; 5) assimilate outcomes that are not joint related (extra-articular outcomes); and 6) assess mortality based on disease activity. We proposed a conceptual model that incorporates the current understanding of clinical and real-world evidence in RA, as well as of existing modeling assumptions. The proposed model framework was reviewed with experts and could serve as a foundation for developing future cost-effectiveness models in RA.

Management of Infected Mesh Following Ventral Hernia Repair

Background: abdominal hernia represents a major health care burden. With over 350,000 repairs performed annually in the United States, millions of dollars are consumed with results that are often far from ideal. The use of the prosthesis in the abdominal wall hernia repair (AWHR) has introduced new problems. Although mesh has reduced hernia recurrence rates, it has its own set of complications. So, mesh infection is one of the most devastating complications after the implantation of any mesh. Objective: this work aimed to focus on management of infected mesh after ventral hernia repair. Patients and Methods: this study was conducted in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University Hospitals from September 2016 until March 2018. The study included 40 patients with surgical mesh infections after the repair of the ventral hernia. Results: cases with laparoscopic hernia repair, minor infections and a patient unfit for surgery were excluded for any medical reason. And after taking the history of the disease and clinical examination and the necessary investigations and the most important is to take a sample of infected fluid over the mesh to determine the type of infection caused by this or doing fistulogram if the fistula connected to the intestine small or large. Conclusion: research of best practices in surgical technique, preoperative care, and mesh materials is ongoing, and much remains to be learned on the prevention and management of this complex and potentially devastating complication.

Management of Infected Mesh Following Ventral Hernia Repair

Background: abdominal hernia represents a major health care burden. With over 350,000 repairs performed annually in the United States, millions of dollars are consumed with results that are often far from ideal. The use of the prosthesis in the abdominal wall hernia repair (AWHR) has introduced new problems. Although mesh has reduced hernia recurrence rates, it has its own set of complications. So, mesh infection is one of the most devastating complications after the implantation of any mesh. Objective: this work aimed to focus on management of infected mesh after ventral hernia repair. Patients and Methods: this study was conducted in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University Hospitals from September 2016 until March 2018. The study included 40 patients with surgical mesh infections after the repair of the ventral hernia. Results: cases with laparoscopic hernia repair, minor infections and a patient unfit for surgery were excluded for any medical reason. And after taking the history of the disease and clinical examination and the necessary investigations and the most important is to take a sample of infected fluid over the mesh to determine the type of infection caused by this or doing fistulogram if the fistula connected to the intestine small or large. Conclusion: research of best practices in surgical technique, preoperative care, and mesh materials is ongoing, and much remains to be learned on the prevention and management of this complex and potentially devastating complication.

CP4 - WEIGHTED AVERAGE CALCULATIONS FOR POPULATING COST-EFFECTIVENESS MODELS: HOW IGNORING THE MODEL’S CLINICAL PATHWAYS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY BIAS THE INCREMENTAL COST-EFFECTIVENESS RATIO (ICER)

According to ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Good Research Practices, a model’s conceptual structure should be driven by the decision problem or research question, thereby capturing the disease processes appropriately, and should not be determined by data availability. When populating models, best practice methods should be used to avoid potential biases in parameter estimates. When the modelled target population is heterogeneous in risks, costs and (dis)utilities, average parameter estimates derived from weighted average calculations are often applied. Many analyses use the population distribution of the source data (e.g. national population statistics, patient distribution in clinical trials) as weighting factor in these calculations. However, driven by the heterogeneous probabilities of modelled events, the population distribution in different model sections may deviate substantially from the source data. With practical examples in prevention and in treatment, we demonstrate how ignoring the impact of the modelled clinical pathways on the population distribution may result in biased estimates for model input parameters and consequently a biased estimate of ICER. One example uses a target population of elderly ≥65 years for universal mass vaccination. The clinical pathway is modelled by dichotomous probabilities: [1] diseased or not, [2] if diseased: outpatient medical attention or not, [3] if medical attention: hospitalized or not, and [4] if hospitalized: death or not. Probabilities, costs and disutilities of events increase with age. We show how the modelled population distribution in each consecutive node deviates further from the original population distribution and how this affects parameter estimates and consequently the ICER. We furthermore demonstrate that age-dependent vaccine efficacy can induce differences in parameter estimates between model arms. Another example in oncology relates to the changing prevalence over subsequent therapy lines of a risk factor associated with treatment response. Ignoring these changes may lead to biased model inputs and ICERs of treatments for subsequent therapy lines.

Conversation Club: A Promising Practice in Youth Mentoring of Migrants and Refugees

This paper evaluates Conversation Club, a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention focusing on the expansion of the program across three separate regions of Ontario. The authors use a multiple methods design, including questionnaires (n=101), post-session process data, and qualitative interviews (n=18), to evaluate how Conversation Club impacts members’ feelings of hope, belonging, sense of ethnic identity, and social support. A focus group (n = 7) with program facilitators was also conducted to explore the process of dissemination of the Club across regions. Findings suggest that Conversation Club holds promise for newcomer youth across settings. Quantitative data showed significant change (p <.01) in levels of hope and sense of belonging. Interviews revealed an increased sense of belonging, possibility, and social support, as well as improved confidence in communicating with others. Insights regarding use of the Club manual suggest the importance of integrating Conversation Club values with flexibility in facilitation to incorporate the strengths and opportunities of context across regions. Study limitations, as well as implications for further social work research and dissemination of best practices in services for migrant and refugee youth, are discussed.

\u2018Telling our story... Creating our own history\u2019: caregivers\u2019 reasons for participating in an Australian longitudinal study of Indigenous children

BackgroundImproving the wellbeing of Indigenous populations is an international priority. Robust research conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is key to developing programs and policies to improve health and wellbeing. This paper aims to quantify the extent of participation in a national longitudinal study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous Australian) children, and to understand the reasons why caregivers participate in the study.MethodsThis mixed methods study uses data from Wave 6 of Footprints in Time, the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children. We conducted descriptive analysis of quantitative variables to characterise the sample and retention rates. We applied conventional content analysis to 160 caregivers’ open-ended responses to the question, ‘Why do you stay in the study?’, identifying themes and overarching meta-themes.ResultsThe study has maintained a high retention rate, with 70.4% (n = 1239/1671) of the baseline sample participating in the study’s 6th wave. We identified seven themes related to why participants stay in the study: telling our story, community benefit, satisfaction, tracking Study Child’s progress, study processes, receiving study gifts, and valuing what the study stands for. These related to two meta-themes: reciprocity, and trust and connection. Caregivers reported that participation was associated with benefits for their family and community as well as for the study. They identified specific features of the Footprints in Time study design that built and maintained trust and connection between participants and the study.ConclusionsOur findings support the assertion that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want to be involved in research when it is done ‘the right way’. Footprints in Time has successfully recruited and retained the current-largest cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia through the use of participatory research methodologies, suggesting effective study implementation and processes. Participants indicated ongoing commitment to the study resulting from perceptions of reciprocity and development of trust in the study. Footprints in Time can serve as a successful model of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research, to promote good research practice and provides lessons for research with other Indigenous populations.

The Patient Information Sheet (PIS) and Informed Consent (IC) for case reports and case series: Proposal for a standard model for presentations in congresses and other scientific publications

A standard model of the Patient Information Sheet (PIS) and Informed Consent (IC) would facilitate compliance with the guaranteed rights of the patient when their health data is used in any form for purposes other than medical assistance, like the release of case reports and case series. This model would be suitable for the presentation of case reports in a congress in any form (verbal communication, poster or presentation), for its publication in a journal that does not require the completion of its own model, or even for teaching practice.A standard model of the PIS and IC would facilitate the application of the current regulations and good clinical practices in clinical research: it would guarantee the compliance of the professionals’ duty of protection of the patient's privacy against the use of their health data for purposes other than medical assistance.

Surveying Retracted Studies and Notices Within the Field of Radiation Oncology

The purpose of this study was to characterize retracted studies within the field of radiation oncology. Computerized searches were performed in Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Ovid EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library up to May 2017looking for retracted studies using the terms "retraction note," "retracted note," "withdrawn" and "radiotherapy," and "radiation oncology." Additional studies were identified by hand-searching 10 discipline-specific journals. Two authors independently screened papers and then extracted author demographics, journal characteristics, and retraction-specific variables. Of the 58 studies identified, the most common reasons for retraction were misconduct (43%), methodological error (21%), authorship issues (5%), unknown causes (5%), and journal (administrative) errors (3%). A total of 13 systematic reviews or protocols (22%) were withdrawn from the Cochrane Library for being out-of-date or redundant. All but one retracted study and retraction notice were available in portable document format. Of the 57 retrieved papers, 79% were identified as retracted via in-text notations or watermarks. Overall median time to retraction was 44months (interquartile range,11-98months). However, 42 studies (72%) were still cited after retraction notices were published. A retracted study within the field of radiation oncology remains a relatively uncommon event. Although promising, our data suggest that the majority of these retracted articles continue to be cited as valid research. As such, there is still a need for clinicians to remain vigilant with their academic rigor and good clinical research practices. There is an urgent need for publication houses to foster universal publishing standards along with discipline-specific retraction guidelines.

PIH26 - Simultaneous Development of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Masseter Muscle Hypertrophy in An Asia Population

To develop Lower Facial Shape Questionnaire (LFSQ) patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures for masseter muscle hypertrophy (MMH) specific to Asian patients using a simultaneous development approach. The LFSQ assesses symptoms, impacts, and satisfaction associated with MMH and follows guidelines for good research practices established by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Participants ≥18 years old with physician-assessed MMH were recruited from Australia, China, Japan, and South Korea. A conceptual framework was developed using literature reviews and participant interviews (concept elicitation [CE]). Concept criteria included frequency and level of bothersomeness, saturation, and clinical relevance. Draft PRO measures were validated for content with cognitive interviews (CIs). All interviews were conducted in local languages. The CE population included 59 participants (mean age 38 years [SD=10], 92% female). The most commonly reported symptoms included prominence of the jaw (64%), square shape (58%), and teeth clenching (56%). Other frequently (>30%) reported concepts included asymmetry, teeth grinding, large facial appearance, and jaw pain. Approximately 50% of patients reported psychosocial impacts such as feeling less attractive, self-conscious, and less confident. Saturation was reached for 94% of concepts. Satisfaction items were subsequently based on relevant symptom and impact concepts. Based on CE, the draft LFSQ consisted of 7 items each for symptoms and impacts, and 9 satisfaction items. The CIs included 20 participants (mean age 34 [SD=11.7], 80% female), most of whom indicated that they would not add additional items and who correctly interpreted the instructions; therefore, revisions were minor. The CE and CI results from this study support the content validity of the LFSQ in assessing the symptoms, impacts, and satisfaction of MMH in Asia patients. The psychometric properties of the LFSQ need to be further evaluated to support validity.

\u2018Screening audit\u2019 as a quality assurance tool in good clinical practice compliant research environments

BackgroundWith the growing amount of clinical research, regulations and research ethics are becoming more stringent. This trend introduces a need for quality assurance measures for ensuring adherence to research ethics and human research protection beyond Institutional Review Board approval. Audits, one of the most effective tools for assessing quality assurance, are measures used to evaluate Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and protocol compliance in clinical research. However, they are laborious, time consuming, and require expertise. Therefore, we developed a simple auditing process (a screening audit) and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness.MethodsThe screening audit was developed using a routine audit checklist based on the Severance Hospital’s Human Research Protection Program policies and procedures. The measure includes 20 questions, and results are summarized in five categories of audit findings. We analyzed 462 studies that were reviewed by the Severance Hospital Human Research Protection Center between 2013 and 2017. We retrospectively analyzed research characteristics, reply rate, audit findings, associated factors and post-screening audit compliance, etc.ResultsInvestigator reply rates gradually increased, except for the first year (73% → 26% → 53% → 49% → 55%). The studies were graded as “critical,” “major,” “minor,” and “not a finding” (11.9, 39.0, 42.9, and 6.3%, respectively), based on findings and number of deficiencies. The auditors’ decisions showed fair agreement with weighted kappa values of 0.316, 0.339, and 0.373. Low-risk level studies, single center studies, and non-phase clinical research showed more prevalent frequencies of being “major” or “critical” (p = 0.002, < 0.0001, < 0.0001, respectively). Inappropriateness of documents, failure to obtain informed consent, inappropriateness of informed consent process, and failure to protect participants’ personal information were associated with higher audit grade (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.003). We were able to observe critical GCP violations in the routine internal audit results of post-screening audit compliance checks in “non-responding” and “critical” studies upon applying the screening audit.ConclusionsOur screening audit is a simple and effective way to assess overall GCP compliance by institutions and to ensure medical ethics. The tool also provides useful selection criteria for conducting routine audits.

KnowBR: An application to map the geographical variation of survey effort and identify well-surveyed areas from biodiversity databases

Biodiversity databases are typically incomplete and biased. We identify their three main limitations for characterizing the geographic distributions of species: unknown levels of survey effort, unknown absences of a species from a region, and unknown level of repeated occurrence of a species in different samples collected at the same location. These limitations hinder our ability to distinguish between the actual absence of a species at a given location and its (erroneous) apparent absence as consequence of inadequate surveys. Good practice in biodiversity research requires knowledge of the number, location and degree of completeness of relatively well-surveyed inventories within territorial units. We herein present KnowBR, an application designed to simultaneously estimate the completeness of species inventories across an unlimited number of spatial units and different geographical extents, resolutions and unit expanses from any biodiversity database. We use the number of database records gathered in a territorial unit as a surrogate of survey effort, assuming that such number correlates positively with the probability of recording a species within such area. Consequently, KnowBR uses a “record-by-species” matrix to estimate the relationship between the accumulated number of species and the number of database records to characterize the degree of completeness of the surveys. The final slope of the species accumulation curves and completeness percentages are used to discriminate and map well-surveyed territorial units according to user criteria. The capacity and possibilities of KnowBR are demonstrated through two examples derived from data of varying geographic extent and numbers of records. Further, we identify the main advances that would improve the current functionality of KnowBR.

Towards a taxonomy of research misconduct: The case of business school research

This paper examines the growing pressures and incentives encouraging research misconduct, along with the consequences, as illustrated by the case of business school research. Drawing on a review of the literature on different theoretical approaches to analysing organizational misconduct, we develop a formal taxonomy distinguishing appropriate conduct from blatantly inappropriate misconduct but with a specific focus on the ‘grey’ areas between these extremes in the form of questionable and inappropriate behaviour. We identify various sources of research misbehaviour and different categories of those affected. The aim is to provide a clearer understanding of what research behaviour is deemed appropriate or not, which stakeholders it affects, and the pressures and incentives likely to exacerbate such misconduct. We conclude with a discussion of how the taxonomy can help shape future good research practice (thereby setting a better example to students), and offer some propositions for future research.

Towards a Taxonomy of Academic Misconduct: The Case of Business School Research

This paper examines the growing pressures and incentives encouraging research misconduct, along with the consequences, as illustrated by the case of business school research. Drawing on a review of the literature on different theoretical approaches to analysing organizational misconduct, we develop a formal taxonomy distinguishing appropriate conduct from blatantly inappropriate misconduct but with a specific focus on the ‘grey’ areas between these extremes in the form of questionable and inappropriate behaviour. We identify various sources of research misbehaviour and different categories of those affected. The aim is to provide a clearer understanding of what research behaviour is deemed appropriate or not, which stakeholders it affects, and the pressures and incentives likely to exacerbate such misconduct. We conclude with a discussion of how the taxonomy can help shape future good research practice (thereby setting a better example to students), and offer some propositions for future research.

Patterns of prostate cancer management across Canadian prostate cancer treatment specialists.

321 Background: The Canadian GU Research Consortium (GURC) was recently established to bring comprehensive prostate cancer centres together to collaborate on research, education, and adoption of best practices. As an initial step to inform the work of the GURC, an electronic questionnaire was designed to assess management of advanced prostate cancer care in Canada and better understand patterns of care. Methods: A 59-item online questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary scientific committee to measure physician practices, patterns of care, treatment sequencing, and management of mCRPC. After pre-testing, the online questionnaire was sent to 93 urologists, uro-oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and general practitioner oncologists who are actively involved in the treatment of prostate cancer. Results: A total of 49 (53%) respondents completed the questionnaire between April 17, 2017 to May 17, 2017. Although all respondents indicated a role in initiating life-prolonging oral therapy for mCRPC and monitoring treatment and side effects, chemotherapy initiation was mainly a medical oncologist role compared to other specialties (p &lt; 0.05, chi-square). Symptom management such as palliative care and end-of-life care were provided mainly by radiation oncologists (100%) and medical oncologists (81%) compared to urologists (33%) and uro-oncologists (50%), p &lt; 0.05, chi-square). Patient mix varied across the disciplines. Urologist practices were composed primarily of non-metastatic prostate cancer patients (73%), as were radiation oncologist practices (77%), while uro-oncologist practices included both non-metastatic (58%) and metastatic (40%) patients. Medical oncologists practices were mainly (91%) metastatic patients. Referral patterns also varied by discipline. Conclusions: In Canada, prostate cancer treatment involves multiple disciplines providing a range of care at different points across the treatment continuum. We plan to do further research to better understand variation in practice and improve multidisciplinary coordination for patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Real world patterns of treatment sequencing in Canada for metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

320 Background: The Canadian GU Research Consortium (GURC) was recently established to bring advanced prostate cancer centres together to collaborate on research, education, and adoption of best practices. As an initial step to inform the work of the GURC, an electronic questionnaire was designed to assess management of advanced prostate cancer care in Canada and how prostate cancer treatments are sequenced in a real-world setting. Methods: A 59-item online questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary scientific committee to measure physician practices, patterns of care, treatment sequencing, and management of mCRPC. After pre-testing, the online questionnaire was sent to 93 urologists, uro-oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and general practitioner oncologists who are actively involved in the treatment of prostate cancer. Results: A total of 49 (53%) respondents completed the questionnaire between April 17, 2017 to May 17, 2017. Based on physician reports, the most frequently used treatment for first-line mCRPC was AR-targeted therapy (94%, n = 46 physicians) such as abiraterone acetate plus prednisone and enzalutamide. Among those 46 physicians, AR-targeted therapy was usually followed by docetaxel second-line therapy (57%, 31 physicians). The most common line 1 to line 3 treatment sequence for mCRPC was: AR-targeted therapy--Docetaxel--AR-targeted therapy (35%, 17 physicians), followed by AR-targeted therapy--Docetaxel--Radium 223 (14%, n = 7), Provincial differences were observed in the line 1 to line 3 treatment sequences, which aligned to variation in provincial policies for access to the treatments. In patients previously treated with docetaxel in the hormone sensitive setting, the most frequently used treatment for first-line mCRPC was AR-targeted therapy (76%, 37 physicians). Conclusions: AR targeted therapy followed by docetaxel is the predominant pattern of practice for management of mCRPC, with variability beyond these lines of therapy. Prospective ongoing work through the GURC in research, education and best practices will aim to understand these practice patterns.

Testing Hypotheses on Risk Factors for Scientific Misconduct via Matched-Control Analysis of Papers Containing Problematic Image Duplications

It is commonly hypothesized that scientists are more likely to engage in data falsification and fabrication when they are subject to pressures to publish, when they are not restrained by forms of social control, when they work in countries lacking policies to tackle scientific misconduct, and when they are male. Evidence to test these hypotheses, however, is inconclusive due to the difficulties of obtaining unbiased data. Here we report a pre-registered test of these four hypotheses, conducted on papers that were identified in a previous study as containing problematic image duplications through a systematic screening of the journal PLoS ONE. Image duplications were classified into three categories based on their complexity, with category 1 being most likely to reflect unintentional error and category 3 being most likely to reflect intentional fabrication. We tested multiple parameters connected to the hypotheses above with a matched-control paradigm, by collecting two controls for each paper containing duplications. Category 1 duplications were mostly not associated with any of the parameters tested, as was predicted based on the assumption that these duplications were mostly not due to misconduct. Categories 2 and 3, however, exhibited numerous statistically significant associations. Results of univariable and multivariable analyses support the hypotheses that academic culture, peer control, cash-based publication incentives and national misconduct policies might affect scientific integrity. No clear support was found for the “pressures to publish” hypothesis. Female authors were found to be equally likely to publish duplicated images compared to males. Country-level parameters generally exhibited stronger effects than individual-level parameters, because developing countries were significantly more likely to produce problematic image duplications. This suggests that promoting good research practices in all countries should be a priority for the international research integrity agenda.