Iranian Researchers Research Articles

A Systematic Review of Studies Assessing Patients' Rights and Human Dignity by Iranian Researchers in the Health Systems

A Systematic Review of Studies Assessing Patients' Rights and Human Dignity by Iranian Researchers in the Health Systems

The scientific productions in Iranian biomedical ethics: A combined study of bibliometrics and social network analysis.

This study aims at increasing our understanding of the research activities of Iranian researchers and institutions in the field of biomedical ethics from 1995 to 2015. A combination of bibliometrics and social network analysis was used to examine the bibliographic data of 580 documents published on Iranian biomedical ethics in Web of Science and Scopus databases to investigate the publication trend, scientific impact, subject keywords network, and social network analysis indicators for international and cross-institutional co-authorship networks. The results showed that the publication of documents has had a consistent and increasing growth and that the citation trend has grown along with it. The analysis of thematic clusters by keyword co-occurrence network shows that Iranian biomedical ethics research has dealt with various topics and that has introduced different research directions. Researchers from 28 countries were identified in the international collaboration network. The main partners of Iranian researchers were from the US (17.8%) and the UK (9.2%). However, there is a tendency to develop and complete cooperation with researchers from different countries. The cross-institutional collaboration network comprises of 63 institutes, of which Tehran University of Medical Sciences (38%), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (11%) and Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (7%) have the largest share in publishing documents. The superiority of the first two universities based on centralization indicators in the cross-institutional collaboration network has caused the exchange of cross-network knowledge between and via these players. The network density indicator shows that almost half of the co-authorship links within the international collaboration network and 8% of the co-authorship links within the cross-institutional collaboration network have been implemented and that these networks are not very coherent.

Past, present and future trends of sarcopenia research in endocrinology & metabolism research institute:a scientometric study

Sarcopenia is an important disease that needs attention in the world. The aim of this paper was to quantify the trend of sarcopenia’s scientific publications of EMRI (Endocrinology & Metabolism Research Institute, Iran). All studies and scientific articles on sarcopenia which were affiliated to EMRI and its research centers have been recruited in this review through an inclusive search in web of science until 20th December 2019. The number of documents, publication year, main journals, citations, subject area and co-authorship network of authors were assessed. Totally, 28 documents from EMRI were related to sarcopenia and indexed in the web of science. The number of documents showed an increasing trend. Most publications were “meeting abstract” at prestigious congresses. The top subject area were “epidemiology” and “association with other diseases”. The highest cited article was a systematic review study, and the top source was “Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders” Journal. EMRI provides an appropriate face of sarcopenia publications in the world. However, there is a need for more effort in other subject areas of sarcopenia, this study would be helpful for Iranian researchers to conduct better research in this field.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire.

Introduction Gross’s Emotion Regulation Questionnaire is one of the most widely-used and valid questionnaires for assessing emotion regulation strategies. The validity and reliability of the Persian version have not been determined and data on its psychometric properties are not available to Iranian mental health researchers. The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in Iranian students.Methodology In this cross-sectional study, 348 students (170 males and 178 females) were selected from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science and Tehran University of Medical Science. The following statistical procedures were conducted: correlation coefficients, factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, and independent t tests.Results The results showed that men use suppression more than women (T = -2.62, p = 0.009). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.76 for the cognitive reappraisal sub-scale and 0.72 for the suppression sub-scale (excluding question 9). Six questions related to the cognitive reappraisal factor explained 30.97% of emotion regulation variance, and 3 questions related to the suppression factor explained 22.59% of emotion regulation variance. Overall, these factors explained 53.5% of emotion regulation variance. There were significant correlations between suppression and difficulties in emotion regulation, trait anxiety, and affective control. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between cognitive reappraisal and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire.Conclusion The results indicate that the Persian version of the ERQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be helpful for development of further important studies of emotional regulation.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-IV (MCMI-IV).

Objective: Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is one of the most widely used clinical tools in research studies and clinical settings. MCMI was revised 4 times and its last version was published in 2015. All previous versions of MCMI have been translated to Persian and validated and have been frequently used by Iranian clinicians or researchers. Thus, this study provides the Persian version of the last version of this popular inventory for clinical or research purposes. Method: The participants of this psychometric study were selected by combining purposeful and convenience sampling methods among inpatients and outpatients who referred to Roozbeh hospital from 2018 to 2019. After data screening by statistical methods and Validity Scales based on MCMI-IV profile, 400 participants’ profiles were analyzed to estimate the psychometric properties of the Persian Version of MCMI-IV. MCMI-IV, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), and the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) were used for clinical data gathering. Content Validity Ratio (CVR), Correlational Coefficients, Kappa Agreement, Spearman Brown Coefficient, and Cronbach Alpha were performed for data analysis. Results: According to the results of data analysis, the psychometric properties for MCMI-IV were estimated as follows: the content validity index (CVI, 0.29 to 0.99), criterion validity (0.13 to 0.40), convergent validity (-0.35 to 0.72), The Cronbach’s alpha for the personality scales was 0.48 to 0.90, the Spearman-Brown coefficient was from 0.49 to 0.90, and test-retest reliability was from 0.51 to 0.86. Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the Persian version of MCMI-IV, including validity and reliability indexes, are appropriate and in line with the findings of its original version.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

Introduction Gross’s Emotion Regulation Questionnaire is one of the most widely-used and valid questionnaires for assessing emotion regulation strategies. The validity and reliability of the Persian version have not been determined and data on its psychometric properties are not available to Iranian mental health researchers. The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in Iranian students. Methodology In this cross-sectional study, 348 students (170 males and 178 females) were selected from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science and Tehran University of Medical Science. The following statistical procedures were conducted: correlation coefficients, factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, and independent t tests. Results The results showed that men use suppression more than women (T = -2.62, p = 0.009). Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were 0.76 for the cognitive reappraisal sub-scale and 0.72 for the suppression sub-scale (excluding question 9). Six questions related to the cognitive reappraisal factor explained 30.97% of emotion regulation variance, and 3 questions related to the suppression factor explained 22.59% of emotion regulation variance. Overall, these factors explained 53.5% of emotion regulation variance. There were significant correlations between suppression and difficulties in emotion regulation, trait anxiety, and affective control. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between cognitive reappraisal and the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Conclusion The results indicate that the Persian version of the ERQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be helpful for development of further important studies of emotional regulation.

The Differential Use of Reformulation Markers in Three Sub-corpora: L1 English, L2 English, and L1 Persian

Given that reformulation is an integral component of scientific texts in which the explanation of terms and ideas is prevalent (Candel, 1984; Thoiron & Bejoint, 1991), this study aims at examining the form, frequency, and function of reformulation markers in three sub-corpora, namely, L1 English, L2 English, and L1 Persian research articles of psychology. The study is based on a corpus of 60 research articles amounting to a total size of 1,105,433 words. Drawing on the list of reformulation markers provided in Hyland (2005) in the case of English sub-corpora and a list of Persian reformulation markers prepared by three experts in the Persian language, we searched the corpus automatically for all the instances of reformulation markers. In the next step, all the instances were examined in their textual context in order to identify their function. The results indicated that L1 English sub-corpus contains the highest frequency of reformulation markers followed by L2 English and finally L1 Persian. There were also differences with regard to forms and functions, as well as parenthetical uses of reformulation markers across the three sub-corpora, specifically between L1 English and L1 Persian, suggesting the existence of intercultural variation in the use of reformulation. Besides, Iranian researchers writing in L2 English tend to adapt their writing style to the norms and conventions of English at least as far as reformulation is concerned. The study concludes with some implications for EAP writing and teaching.

Iranian Brain Imaging Database: A Neuropsychiatric Database of Healthy Brain.

Introduction:The Iranian Brain Imaging Database (IBID) was initiated in 2017, with 5 major goals: provide researchers easy access to a neuroimaging database, provide normative quantitative measures of the brain for clinical research purposes, study the aging profile of the brain, examine the association of brain structure and function, and join the ENIGMA consortium. Many prestigious databases with similar goals are available. However, they were not done on an Iranian population, and the battery of their tests (e.g. cognitive tests) is selected based on their specific questions and needs.Methods:The IBID will include 300 participants (50% female) in the age range of 20 to 70 years old, with an equal number of participants (#60) in each age decade. It comprises a battery of cognitive, lifestyle, medical, and mental health tests, in addition to several Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) protocols. Each participant completes the assessments on two referral days.Results:The study currently has a cross-sectional design, but longitudinal assessments are considered for the future phases of the study. Here, details of the methodology and the initial results of assessing the first 152 participants of the study are provided.Conclusion:IBID is established to enable research into human brain function, to aid clinicians in disease diagnosis research, and also to unite the Iranian researchers with interests in the brain.

Manifestations of Key-Word Terms in ELT Research Publications: Are We Not Tuned to Genuine, Art-based Qualitative Lines of Inquiry Yet?

Stated key words after the abstract section in research articles are among those lines of inquiry which have received less attention in Applied Linguists (AL) studies. In this paper, the researcher explored the distribution of stated key terms and expressions as used by 73 researchers in AL domains in both local (NOORMAGZ) and global database publishers (SAGE, ELEVIRE, SINCENCE DIRECT) Those Scimago journal lists, which were abstracted in Thomson Reuters Web of Science [WoS] journals were precisely screened in terms of their compatibility with title vs. topic match index as well as their position in the research articles throughout the whole sampled research papers including Introduction, Review of Literature, Method, Results & Discussion (IRMRD) to explore authors’ tendencies towards art-based utilization of key word selection/assignment for research writing aims. The results over title-topic match indicated that at least one or two stated key words significantly appeared in the title of research paper within both local and global databases with the higher preference for keyword-title match among Iranian researchers. Regarding the most probable positions in the sampled research articles, gained data in this research could not significantly show any differences between local and global researchers. Possible implications were discussed in the light of critical, art-based approaches for key word elaboration/explanation in English Language Teaching (ELT) and AL research.

Contribution of Iranian scholars to medical sciences: A holistic overview of 140-years publication.

Background: This study investigated the trends in the scientific output of Iran published in PubMed indexed journals. To the best of our knowledge, there was no previous study to examine the Iranian scientific output in all fields of health and biomedical sciences. Methods: Using a bibliometric approach, we tracked 140 years (between 1877 and 2016) of Iranian scientific productions in PubMed. The journals which papers widely published over them were analyzed. The metadata of journals was extracted from Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Scimago Journal & Country Rank. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data was elaborated from the World Bank to evaluate the relationship with research output. We used Pearson’s correlation coefficient at p<0.01 significance level and reported the data in a scatterplot. Results: We identified 106 226 documents produced by Iranian authors in journals indexed in PubMed since 1877. The number of papers climbed dramatically in 2000 and afterward, and this was consistent with the country’s GDP. Although the scientific contribution of Iranian researchers is remarkable, 67% of papers (26 978 out of 106 226) were published in local Journals categorized into quartile 3 and 4 of WoS and Scopus. The study shows that GDP growth has had a positive influence on publication output (r=0.738, p<0.001). Conclusion: This is the first study with a panorama view of Iran’s contribution to biomedical literature. Based on the results of our survey, although the number of Iranian publications rose over time but they are mostly published in low ranked journals. Health policy-makers advise reconsidering the criteria for measuring research activities. Improving policies will help researchers to publish in higher ranked journals.

Geology, Tectonics and Stratigraphy of the Construction Site of the New Bushehr NPP Units in the Islamic Republic of Iran as Part of Recent Geotechnical Studies

Southern Iran in the area of Zagros and the borders of the Arabian and Eurasian plates is a seismically active territory in which large industrial facilities are located, including Bushehr NPP. In this regard the relevance of studying modern geodynamics and geology of the region is understandable. The geological structure of the territory after engineering surveys of 1974-2001 no longer seemed questionable. However, after completion of engineering surveys for new NPP units in 2015, new views on some positions on seismotectonics, and later on the geology of the area, appeared. The article provides information about the geology, tectonics and stratigraphy of the region and the research area, including not covered earlier in domestic reporting materials and scientific articles, and also considered the possible reasons for the appearance of other interpretations regarding seismotectonics and geology of the area where the NPP site is located. A brief analysis of the research results, both previously completed and completed relatively recently, is presented. An additional argument is considered in favor of the presence of fault zones within the Bushehr anticline proposed by Iranian researchers. In particular, the Khark-Mish fault supposed by them may be part of the buried ancient anticlinal fold before the position of its axis changes in the modern period as a result of neotectonic processes common to the region as a whole. The geology and tectonics of the Bushehr anticline are compared with similar structures on Fr. Hark and the nearest islands. Updated information on the stratigraphy of individual geological formations of the region and the research area is also provided. In spite of the reasoned justification of various positions on the geology and tectonics of the region, it seems necessary to conduct a number of additional special direct and indirect studies aimed at ensuring the safety of the Bushehr NPPs under construction and operating.

Psychometric Properties of Persian Version of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) Among Iranian Elderly

Objectives: This research aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) among older Iranian people. Methods &amp; Materials: The research method was non-experimental research that its necessary information was collected with the cross-sectional method. The statistical population comprised all older people over 60 years of age in Tehran City, Iran. The statistical sample included 1035 people who have completed the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). This questionnaire consists of 69 questions and 9 components. The obtained data were analyzed with confirmatory factorial analysis based on structural equations, Cronbach alpha coefficient, and intra-class correlation coefficient tests. Results: The content, face, and concurrent validity were acceptable (P&lt;0.05). Also, result showed that the MBSRQ has acceptable fit indexes (such as RMSEA=0.042, CFI=0.903, TLI=0.978, PNFI=0.075, and PGFI=0.886). Further, the internal consistency and temporal reliability were acceptable (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: The Persian version of MBSRQ has acceptable reliability and validity in the Iranian elderly, and researchers, older adults, and elderly specialists can use this questionnaire for its evaluations and research.

Causes of the plagiarism: A grounded theory study.

Plagiarism is an ethical and academic issue, which is affected by several factors. This study is an attempt to introduce a model for elaborating on the causes of plagiarism in Iran. The study was carried out as a grounded theory study. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 32 university professors and postgraduate students at Iranian universities of medical sciences. The participants were selected through purposeful and theoretical sampling. Data analysis was done following Strauss et al.'s work. To ensure study rigor, Lincoln and Guba's measures were used. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. A conceptual model of the causes of plagiarism was developed based on analyzing and coding the data. The main core of the model was the emergence of plagiarism, and other cores were (1) causal condition: lack of skills, pressure by education system, and lack of awareness; (2) intervening factors: technological advances, legal gaps, and lack of efficient supervision; (3) ground factors: personal traits and attitudes of the academic community; (4) strategy and interventions: role model, supervision, national/international coordination, and higher awareness; (5) outcomes: regeneration of plagiarism and negative attitudes toward Iranian authors in the world academic communities. Several factors affect plagiarism. Among the approaches to attenuate plagiarism in Iranian academic communities are improving self-esteem and self-efficacy in Iranian researchers, emphasizing on quality rather than quantity of published works, discouraging boasting attitudes in the practitioners, denouncing intense competition among researchers, and introducing clear laws and severe punishments for plagiarism.

Contribution of Iran in COVID-19 studies: a bibliometrics analysis.

BackgroundIran is fighting heroically against COVID-19. Due to the importance of scientific publications in better dealing with this stubborn virus, this study was conducted aiming at reviewing COVID-19 publications by Iranian scientists.MethodsWe searched for COVID-19 and all its related keywords in the Web of Science (WOS), Scopus and PubMed databases to find documents published by Iranian authors until July 10, 2020. Duplicates documents were excluded, and bibliographic parameters were evaluated. Co-authorship matrix was calculated using Bibexcel, and visualizations were done using VOSviewer.ResultsA total of 849 documents from 3450 Iranian researchers (5.5 authors per document) were retrieved from WOS, PubMed, and Scopus and Iran ranked 12th and 13th in WOS and Scopus in terms of the number of publications. The average citation per document was 2.2 with the h-index of 18. Original articles and letters were the most common formats for Iranian publications. The Journal of Military Medicine has published the highest number of documents. Iranian authors have mostly collaborated with researchers from the United States, Italy, the UK, and Canada, respectively. The co-occurrence network for keywords represented five publication clusters in the collection, and the largest clusters were related to epidemiological studies and public health, followed by clinical studies on COVID-19.ConclusionIranian researchers have had a significant scientific contribution in various areas of the disease. However, the network of studies has not been sufficiently cohesive, and more coherent collaboration between researchers at the national and international levels should be on the agenda of research policymakers in the country.

What differences? Thematic analyses of blended learning researches in Iran

ABSTRACT In the present era, blended learning (BL) is one of the most frequently used concepts related to integrating Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with the curriculum. Numerous research is conducted annually in the field of blended learning in different regions of the world. The purpose of the present research is to determine the status of blended learning researches in Iran. For this, 60 articles were selected, using systematic review and observing inclusion and exclusion criteria, and analysed based on six themes including terminology, methodology, topic, blending level, context and technology. The results revealed that the researches on blended learning in Iran are similar to international studies in some themes such as terminology, context and blending level and different in other themes including topic, methodology and terminology. Based on the findings, suggestions are made for international and Iranian blended learning researchers.

Librarians’ Participation in the Systematic Reviews Published by Iranian Researchers and Its Impact on the Quality of Reporting Search Strategy

Abstract&#x0D; Objective – The validity of the results from systematic review studies depends largely on the implementation and the reporting of the search strategy. Using an experienced librarian can greatly enhance the quality of results. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the librarian’s participation and the quality of reporting search strategy in systematic reviews published by Iranian researchers in medical fields.&#x0D; Methods – Three databases were searched to identify the systematic review studies conducted by Iranian researchers from 2008 to 2018. A total of 310 studies were selected using systematic random sampling, and the quality of their search strategy reports was reviewed by the Institute of Medicine checklist. A short questionnaire about the librarians’ participation in the search strategy of these studies was sent to the corresponding authors of the selected studies. A total of 229 questionnaires was returned. The data obtained from the questionnaire about the librarians’ participation in reporting search strategy in systematic review studies and also from the evaluation checklist for reporting search strategy in systematic review studies were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.&#x0D; Results – The mean value of the evaluation checklist for reporting search strategy in systematic review studies was low. The librarians’ participation rate for these studies was 13.6%. No meaningful relationship was found between the librarians’ participation and the mean value of the evaluation checklist for reporting search strategy of systematic review studies. However, an investigation of the relationship between each of the items in the evaluation checklist for reporting search strategy in systematic review studies and librarians’ participation as the corresponding author or a member of the research team showed a meaningful relationship in five items.&#x0D; Conclusion – The results showed that the quality of reporting the search strategies in systematic reviews was low and the librarians’ participation in designing and reporting the search strategy in systematic reviews was limited. The authors of the systematic review studies, as well as the journals’ editors and referees, need to pay more careful attention to reporting the search strategy exactly and comprehensively. Employing librarians in this area can have a major impact on this part of systematic review studies.

Assessment of Scientific Publications of Iranian Researchers in the Field of Myocardial Ischemia Diseases Based on the Indicators of Ideational Influence and Social Influence

Assessment of Scientific Publications of Iranian Researchers in the Field of Myocardial Ischemia Diseases Based on the Indicators of Ideational Influence and Social Influence

Recent investigations in the synthesis of spirooxindole derivatives by Iranian researchers

Among isatin-based heterocyclic, spirooxindoles are interesting synthetic molecules because of their variety of pharmacological activities. There is a wide range of multi-component reactions that cover this topic. This review covers the different synthesis methods of spirooxindoles reported by Iranian researchers in the last 15 years.

Drawing a Scientific Map for Social Responsibility Research in the Field of Health using Thematic Cluster Analysis Method

Introduction: The traditional health charter, with more emphasis on productivity, has been replaced with a charter that puts environmental and social issues on the agenda of managers in this field. In order to succeed, managers of organizations active in health industry should consider not only the internal environment, but also the social and environmental issues at the heart of all decisions and actions. Scientometrics is a valid tool for evaluating information materials and resources, identifying research areas, and drawing connections between them in a thematic map. Application of this technique to gain a comprehensive insight in the field of social responsibility research in the health area is a new endeavor that provides researchers with a comprehensive understanding about a wide range of published articles and research. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the international scientific products and map them on social responsibility in the field of health. Methods: This descriptive study followed an interpretive paradigm and was conducted through a systematic review using search terms defined in the Web of Science database. All in-depth research published in the area of ​​social responsibility in the healthcare industry were investigated. Some of these articles were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the information needed to fulfill their research goals were scientifically explored using VOS viewer software version 1.6.11, a software in the field of Scientometrics. Results: After searching, screening, and evaluating studies qualitatively, a final analysis of five papers and an in-depth analysis of the selected articles showed that the majority of research was conducted on social responsibility in the field of health in 2017. In this field, the highest number of research and communication among authors were conducted in the US, UK, and Australia, respectively. Conclusion: Focusing on the most prolific and least productive countries through Scientometrics can reveal research opportunities and weaknesses of this field. It also can illuminate the horizon for Iranian researchers to conduct novel studies.

A Model of Research Article Writing Sociolinguistic Competence (RAWSC): Evidence From Qualitative Meta-Synthesis and Follow-Up Interviews

The knowledge of sociolinguistic factors can be a remarkable component of competence in research article writing for learners’ successful handling of scholarly writing tasks in English for academic purposes (EAP) programs. This study aimed to present a model of Sociolinguistics Competence (SC) in writing EAP research articles. Give this, two stages were followed. Firstly, a meta-synthesis approach was adopted to investigate the available literature on various aspects of SC and extract the latent themes and concepts in the target model. As a result, two categories emerged from the combination of five concepts and 258 codes. Secondly, an introspective stage was followed to explore the perceptions of a sampled number of EAP Iranian researchers of features of research article writing sociolinguistic competence and their difficulties relevant to the sociolinguistic aspects of writing RAs. Data for this stage came from interviews with nine Iranian EAP researchers who have published in highly prestigious journals. Conducting thematic analysis in the introspective stage resulted in 118 codes and four subcategories. The interview findings confirmed the main categories obtained from the meta-synthesis. The combination of the findings of meta-synthesis and interviews yielded a reductionist yet inclusive account of EAP research article writing sociolinguistic competence.