High-quality Research Outputs Research Articles

UK Reproducibility Network open and transparent research practices survey dataset

Openness and transparency in the research process are a prerequisite to the production of high quality research outputs. Efforts to maximise these features have substantially accelerated in recent years, placing open and transparent research practices at the forefront of funding and related priorities, and encouraging investment in resources and infrastructure to enable such practices. Despite these efforts, there has been no systematic documentation of current practices, infrastructure, or training and resources that support open and transparent research in the UK. To address this gap, we developed and conducted the Open and Transparent Research Practices survey, a large-scale audit study completed by research-active staff in UK research institutions to better understand existing practices, needs, support, and barriers faced when implementing open and transparent research. The data presented here capture responses from over 2,500 research-active staff based at 15 institutions affiliated with the UK Reproducibility Network. The data provide a snapshot of open research practices that can be used to identify barriers, training needs, and areas that require greater investments.

Bibliometric analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies on chronic pain over the past 20 years.

The utilization of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in studying the mechanisms and treatment of chronic pain has gained significant popularity. However, there is currently a dearth of literature conducting bibliometric analysis on fMRI studies focused on chronic pain. All the literature included in this study was obtained from the Science Citation Index Expanded of Web of Science Core Collection. We used CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze publications, authors, countries or regions, institutions, journals, references and keywords. Additionally, we evaluated the timeline and burst analysis of keywords, as well as the timeline and burst analysis of references. The search was conducted from 2004 to 2023 and completed within a single day on October 4th, 2023. A total of 1,327 articles were retrieved. The annual publication shows an overall increasing trend. The United States has the highest number of publications and the main contributing institution is Harvard University. The journal PAIN produces the most articles. In recent years, resting-state fMRI, the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, thalamus, and migraines have been researched hotspots of fMRI studies on chronic pain. This study provides an in-depth perspective on fMRI for chronic pain research, revealing key points, research hotspots and research trends, which offers valuable ideas for future research activities. It concludes with a summary of advances in clinical practice in this area, pointing out the need for critical evaluation of these findings in the light of guidelines and expert recommendations. It is anticipated that further high-quality research outputs will be generated in the future, which will facilitate the utilization of fMRI in clinical decision-making for chronic pain.

Medicinal polypharmacology-a scientific glossary of terminology and concepts.

Medicinal polypharmacology is one answer to the complex reality of multifactorial human diseases that are often unresponsive to single-targeted treatment. It is an admittance that intrinsic feedback mechanisms, crosstalk, and disease networks necessitate drugs with broad modes-of-action and multitarget affinities. Medicinal polypharmacology grew to be an independent research field within the last two decades and stretches from basic drug development to clinical research. It has developed its own terminology embedded in general terms of pharmaceutical drug discovery and development at the intersection of medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and clinical pharmacology. A clear and precise language of critical terms and a thorough understanding of underlying concepts is imperative; however, no comprehensive work exists to this date that could support researchers in this and adjacent research fields. In order to explore novel options, establish interdisciplinary collaborations, and generate high-quality research outputs, the present work provides a first-in-field glossary to clarify the numerous terms that have originated from various individual disciplines.

Undergraduate Economics Program Enhancements to Increase Doctoral Program Participation by Under-Represented Students

The economics profession as with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines has recognized that it faces a “pipeline” problem of low numbers of under-represented minorities (URM) completing PhDs. The ancillary described in this article addresses the economics pipeline problem by using strategies modeled after University of Maryland Baltimore County’s (UMBC’s) STEM focused Meyerhoff Scholars program. These strategies include identifying URM students in early stages of their undergraduate careers with the ability and motivation to pursue graduate work, providing information about career opportunities for those completing PhDs, guidance on course selection and on undergraduate research opportunities. UMBC’s Predoctoral Fellows in Economics Program prepares students for successful admission into well-regarded PhD programs by enhancing their likelihood of successful applications to predoctoral programs in economics. URM undergraduates who maintain strong grades in mathematics, statistics, and economics and who engage in productive undergraduate research experiences and produce high-quality research output should find exciting predoctoral, doctoral and career opportunities.

THE ROLE OF THE NATIONAL CONSORTIUM ORCID UKRAINE IN ADVANCING OPEN SCIENCE POLICY

This article explores the pivotal role played by the National Consortium ORCID Ukraine in effectively implementing the Open Science Policy within the Ukrainian research landscape. . The article delves into the strategies employed by the consortium to promote ORCID iDs (Open Researcher and Contributor IDs) and their integration into various research processes to enhance research transparency, streamline collaboration, and establish a robust foundation for open science practices. Emphasizing the significance of ORCID iDs in uniquely identifying researchers, the discussion also highlights their impact on reducing authorship ambiguity and ensuring accurate attribution of scholarly contributions. Furthermore, the article explores the broader implications of promoting open science in Ukraine, emphasizing the positive correlation between research transparency and economic development. It is shown that by facilitating a more transparent and collaborative research environment, the National Consortium ORCID Ukraine generates high-quality research outputs, fosters innovation, and attracts investment. The experiences and successes of the consortium in advocating for open science principles, along with the challenges encountered and lessons learned, are detailed. Particularly, it highlighted the challenges and the technical complexity associated with using the ORCID Affiliation Manager tool by Ukrainian research institutes and ensuring compatibility and seamless data transfer between the digital repository system DSpace and the editorial workflows of the publishing platform OJS. The article concludes by underscoring the critical role that initiatives like the National Consortium ORCID Ukraine play in shaping a research ecosystem that not only adheres to open science principles but also stimulates economic growth through knowledge dissemination and collaboration.

An empirical study on the driving factors and pathways of research talents innovation capability

This study designed a survey questionnaire encompassing three levels: research institutions, research environment, and research talents, with 19 specific measurement indicators. The questionnaire was distributed to research personnel from over 20 research institutes, universities and related enterprises in China. Based on 537 valid responses, a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to analyze the relational effects of the driving factors. The findings are as follows: (1) The innovative capability of research talents is a composite outcome of the interaction between multiple "external-internal" factors. Effective organizational support from research institutions and a favorable research environment, both soft and hard, are indispensable elements in enhancing this capability. (2) A key factor in enhancing innovation capability is the proper resolution of effective supply and scientific utilization of research resources by research institutions, along with the improvement of research satisfaction. (3) Research institutions should establish an integrated research mechanism that combines "environment-organization-talent" to achieve the generation and effective transformation of high-quality research outputs.

Challenges and Perspectives in Scientific Publication of Robotics as an Interdisciplinary Field of Study

Challenges and Perspectives in Scientific Publication of Robotics as an Interdisciplinary Field of Study

Challenges Associated with Research Management and Administration in Universities

Higher education institutions (HEI) face several obstacles because of the digital revolution that must be solved for them to play a more and bigger part in innovation ecosystems and economies. Therefore, HEIs and policymakers are always in need of a research administrative structure that is mainly favorable and creates an atmosphere where researchers can generate high-quality research outputs. This study aims to outline the problems that university research management and administration face when trying to promote research, innovation, and commercialization. There will be a study of the existing literature to propose a theory (The Triple Helix Model) that is relevant to this study. The study followed a scoping review of literature that is relevant to the subject matter. Practical answers to the questions will then be used in this framework. According to the research cited in this article, HEIs must set up strategic structures and activities to advise policymakers on how to frame robust support systems for research, innovation, and commercialization.

Why and When Statistics is Required, and How to Simplify Choosing Appropriate Statistical Techniques During Ph.D. Program in India?

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explain the key reasons for the existence of statistics in doctoral-level research, why and when statistical techniques are to be used, how to statistically describe the units of analysis/samples, how to statistically describe the data collected from units of analysis/samples; how to statistically discover the relationship between variables of the research question; a step-by-step process of statistical significance/hypothesis test, tricks for selecting an appropriate statistical significance test, and most importantly which is the most user-friendly and free software for carrying out statistical analyses. In turn, guiding Ph.D. scholars to choose appropriate statistical techniques across various stages of the doctoral-level research process to ensure a high-quality research output. Design/Methodology/Approach: Postmodernism philosophical paradigm; Inductive research approach; Observation data collection method; Longitudinal data collection time frame; Qualitative data analysis. Findings/Result: As long as the Ph.D. scholars can understand i) they need NOT be an expert in Mathematics/Statistics and it is easy to learn statistics during Ph.D.; ii) the difference between measures of central tendency and dispersion; iii) the difference between association, correlation, and causation; iv) difference between null and research/alternate hypotheses; v) difference between Type I and Type II errors; vi) key drivers for choosing a statistical significance test; vi) which is the best software for carrying out statistical analyses. Scholars will be able to (on their own) choose appropriate statistical techniques across various steps of the doctoral-level research process and comfortably claim their research findings. Originality/Value: There is a vast literature about statistics, probability theory, measures of central tendency and dispersion, formulas for finding the relationship between variables, and statistical significance tests. However, only a few have explained them together comprehensively which is conceivable to Ph.D. scholars. In this article, we have attempted to explain the reasons for the existence, objectives, purposes, and essence of ‘Statistics’ briefly and comprehensively with simple examples and tricks that would eradicate fear among Ph.D. scholars about ‘Statistics’. Paper Type: Conceptual.

The Texas Health Resources Clinical Scholars Program: Learning healthcare system workforce development through embedded translational research.

IntroductionTexas Health Resources (THR), a large, nonprofit health care system based in the Dallas‐Fort Worth area, has collaborated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) to develop and operate a unique, integrated approach for Learning Health System (LHS) workforce development. This training model centers on academic health system faculty members conducting later‐stage translational research within a partnering regional care delivery organization.MethodsThe THR Clinical Scholars Program engages early career UTSW faculty members to conduct studies that are likely to have an impact on care delivery at the health system level. Interested candidates submit formal applications to the program. A joint committee comprised of senior research faculty from UTSW and THR clinical leadership reviews proposals with a focus on the shared LHS needs of both institutions—developing high quality research output that can be applied to enhance care delivery. A key prioritization criterion for funding is the degree to which the research addresses a question relevant to THR as a high‐volume network with multiple channels for consumers to access care. The program emphasis is on supporting embedded research initiatives using health system data to generate knowledge that will improve the quality and efficiency of care for the patient populations served by the participant organizations.ResultsWe discuss specific strategic and tactical components of the THR Clinical Scholars Program including an overview of the academic affiliation agreement between the collaborating organizations, criteria for successful program applications, data sharing, and funding. We also share project summaries from selected clinical scholars as examples of the LHS research done in the program to date.ConclusionThis experience report provides an implementation framework for other academic health systems interested in adopting similar LHS workforce training models with community partners.

Association between Burnout, Job Dissatisfaction and Intention to Leave among Medical Researchers in a Research Organisation in Malaysia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Employee turnover could affect the organisation’s performance. Job dissatisfaction and burnout have been identified as factors influencing the intention to leave. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of intent to leave, and predictors associated with intention to leave among medical researchers in Malaysia. A cross-sectional, stratified random sampling study was conducted among researchers in a research organisation under the Ministry of Health. Respondents answered an online questionnaire that included sociodemographic information, job dissatisfaction, burnout, and intention to leave. A total of 133 researchers participated. More than one-third (41.4%) of the researchers had a moderate and high level of intention to leave. Burnout and job dissatisfaction were identified as significant predictors. Burnout was noted to have a positive relationship with the intent to leave (β = 0.289, 95% CI (B): 0.287, 1.096). Meanwhile, job satisfaction was found to have a negative relationship with the intention to leave (β = −0.348, 95% CI (B): −0.768, −0.273). Burnout among researchers is quite worrisome as more than two-thirds of the researchers experienced moderate to high burnout. Reducing burnout and job dissatisfaction would increase work performance and produce high-quality research output, hence decreasing the turnover rate.

Developing a Catalysis Applied Research Community at a University of Applied Sciences: From Educational Setting to High-Quality Research Output

In this report we present a method to incorporate applied catalysis research into the multiyear educational undergraduate program of Chemical Engineering at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (UAS). In this way the total student population is introduced to research and thereby contributes to the scientific output of the department, and more students can potentially be encouraged to follow a research career. We discuss the challenges of performing high-level research at a UAS in comparison to dedicated research universities and possible opportunities to make high-level applied research work. The time available to conduct research is a challenge. However, by introducing the research into educational programs the issue of time can be relieved. From our experience, the key factor to gain high-level scientific research output is to let well trained research-lecturers work closely with students in scaffolded projects as has been shown by the publication of several papers in peer reviewed scientific international journals. We also highlight two research projects on carbohydrate catalysis for the production of high-value chemicals and improving the efficiency of selective catalytic reduction systems.

High quality research output primarily needs passion rather than fashion or compulsion or high capital

High quality research output primarily needs passion rather than fashion or compulsion or high capital

P78 MedEd Collaborative: a new research collaborative to promote medical education research

IntroductionIn response to the disruption to medical education caused by COVID-19, there is a need for wide-scale robust medical education research and the generation of research capacity for the future. Trainee research collaboratives have demonstrated they can nurture the research skills of students and trainees while delivering high quality research outputs. However, we have been unable to identify a permanent medical education research collaborative for trainees and students.MethodsWe started the MedEd Collaborative in September 2020 to fill this gap, consisting of a trainee- and student-led medical education research collaborative supported by senior medical education experts and clinicians.ResultsOur vision is to increase engagement of students and trainees in high-quality medical education research that informs practice. The MedEd Collaborative will engage students and trainees in medical education research by completing at least one national multicentre study per year, the first being the COVID Ready 2 study. This is a national cross-sectional survey of the educational impact of medical student volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsWe anticipate the MedEd collaborative will: increase exposure to medical education research, thereby increasing the number of medical students and trainees aiming to pursue an academic medical education career; provide training in medical education research methodologies, such as qualitative analysis; improve the quality of medical education research outputs from students and trainees; encourage collaboration between medical schools and deaneries; and provide support to other trainee research collaboratives that aim to explore education research in their own specialties.

A Survey of State-of-the-Art on Blockchains

To draw a roadmap of current research activities of the blockchain community, we first conduct a brief overview of state-of-the-art blockchain surveys published in the past 5 years. We found that those surveys are basically studying the blockchain-based applications, such as blockchain-assisted Internet of Things (IoT), business applications, security-enabled solutions, and many other applications in diverse fields. However, we think that a comprehensive survey toward the essentials of blockchains by exploiting the state-of-the-art theoretical modelings, analytic models, and useful experiment tools is still missing. To fill this gap, we perform a thorough survey by identifying and classifying the most recent high-quality research outputs that are closely related to the theoretical findings and essential mechanisms of blockchain systems and networks. Several promising open issues are also summarized for future research directions. We hope this survey can serve as a useful guideline for researchers, engineers, and educators about the cutting-edge development of blockchains in the perspectives of theories, modelings, and tools.

ONLINE DATA COLLECTION AS ADAPTATION IN CONDUCTING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This study was conducted to identify online data collection methodologies as an adaptation in the conduct of quantitative and qualitative research amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While data collection has been hampered by the restrictions posed by the quarantine measures of the local governments around the globe, researchers need to strategize and adapt remote tools in data collection. Analyzing from the responses of 25 highly engaged researchers who served as participants of this study through videoconferencing, it was found out that data collection for quantitative research may be conducted by using online development tools via personal or institutional subscriptions, using google forms as a free and conventional platform, and by using QR Code to generate the electronic survey questionnaire. On the other hand, the data collection for qualitative research may be conducted by using diaries and reflections of participants to replace the typical direct observation, using telephone or mobile phone to conduct an interview, and by using video-conferencing for key informant interview and focus group discussion. Considering the practicality and feasibility of these data collection methods, researchers cannot be constrained by the quarantine and health protocols in pursuing reliable, honest, and high-quality research outputs.
 
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Creating a “Nalanda” for the New Millennia

Higher education is all about people and management. The success of the higher educational institutions revolves largely around the quality of the research and the faculty. This emphasizes the need of a strong financial base to deliver a quality education to students. In the present scenario, which is characterized by intense information flow, dynamism, progress, growth, and continuous challenging environment, the higher educational institutions hold an important place. The present study focuses on exploring the relationship between human capital management and human resource development (HRD) climate. For the research purpose, two universities, University of Jammu and University of Kashmir, have been taken. The model derived by applying a confirmatory factor analysis in the present research study depicts a linkage between human capital management and HRD climate, and if applied in the institutions of higher education by customizing according to their needs and requirements, it would help in attaining the vision as perceived by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry for 2030 in attaining overall excellence in higher education sector in India. So, it is very important to develop research focused universities with community participation which could deliver high quality research output and research focused graduates and lead to creating a NALANDA for the new millennia.

The Dynamic Deprivation Index: measuring relative socio-economic deprivation in NZ on a monthly basis

ABSTRACTThe standard measures of relative socio-economic deprivation within New Zealand are the NZDEP studies and the NZ IMD. Although both sets of studies are extremely rigorous, high quality research outputs they are only able to provide a snapshot of the national distribution of relative socio-economic deprivation at fixed points in time. The inability to express deprivation levels as an extended and current time series means that not only are policy analysts and researchers working with outdated information, but also that it is often unfeasible to associate changes in deprivation levels to specific events or policy implementations. The Dynamic Deprivation Index (DDI) assigns a deprivation score and deprivation index to each area unit in New Zealand on a monthly basis. In this paper we look to describe the methodology behind the construction of the DDI and to validate the results therein. We argue that if public bodies were to make the data they hold more easily accessible, then there is no reason why New Zealand should not be able to benefit from a measure of socio-economic deprivation that combines the sophistication of the NZDEP studies or IMD with the contemporaneousness of the DDI.

Building Cross-Institutional Collaborative Infrastructure and Processes: Early Lessons From the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative.

Addressing cancer health disparities requires a multitiered, comprehensive approach. The Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (ChicagoCHEC) was established as a tri-institutional partnership to advance cancer health equity through scientific discovery, education, and community engagement. Large-scale partnerships rarely document the challenges encountered when establishing processes and operations in the formative years of engagement. We outline selected lessons learned from the first three years of ChicagoCHEC in hopes that future collaborations may be better poised to hit the ground running and create the needed infrastructure for a strong, effective, and sustainable partnership. Unifying a diverse group of stakeholders under a shared mission is imperative. A shared governance structure, in which all individuals understand the aims of partnership and can facilitate progress, is crucial for success. Ongoing monitoring of collaborative processes should occur and attention should be given to the optimization of communications. Large-scale collaborative research and education projects across institutions can be challenging, particularly when establishing a working infrastructure and aligning priorities. However, the benefit of establishing key processes in the early years of the collaborative process can lead to high-quality research output, impact, and a sustainable partnership.

Research Collaborations and Quality in Research: Foes or Friends?

Collaboration is the cornerstone of nowadays research. Successful collaborative research and high research quality go hand in hand. Collaborative research needs to build on common and upfront expectations for the quality of its outputs. This is necessary to enable a trustful research environment where all are committed to contribute and can share the rewards. A governance and leadership are critical for this to happen as well as a policy for openness and for effective data sharing. Collaborative research is often large-scale research: to be successful it needs good research practice as an enabler. Collaborative projects are ideal vehicles to promote high research quality, among other by enabling the delivery of results of high external validity and the development and implementation of standards. Robustness of results increases when confirmed by combining different methods and tools and even more when results are obtained while sharing and learning different approaches and languages of science. When doing collaborative research, there is the best opportunity to combine the different experience and expertise of all partners by design to create a more efficient and effective environment conductive for high-quality research. Using as example the public-private partnership type of projects created by the Innovative Medicines Initiative, the chapter covers the key aspects of the complex relationship between collaborative research and quality of research providing insights on the critical factors for delivering both a successful collaboration in research and robust high-quality research outputs.