Native Country Research Articles

A Quantitative Analysis of University Admission Results for Hungarian Ethnic Minority Students in the Carpathian Basin

This study analyses the higher education admission results of Hungarian ethnic minority students in Hungary originating from Central and Eastern European countries (Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Romania) by secondary education background (national system vs. foreign system) and school-leaving qualification background (advanced and intermediate levels in Hungary and their native country). Students (n = 759) take (or have taken) part in undivided (5-year) and bachelor (3-year) programs at universities in Hungary and, for historical reasons, live as ethnic minorities in their home countries in the Carpathian Basin. There are significant differences in the number of students according to their secondary education background. Of the admitted students, 83.7% graduated from a national system secondary school and 16.3% from a foreign system secondary school before entering higher education. Using a Mann–Whitney U-test, we confirmed that the admission scores of students from the national secondary education system are significantly different from the scores of students who graduated from a foreign secondary education system (p < 0.001). The results of the Jonckheere–Terpstra test demonstrated that students with advanced-level exam results performed significantly better than those who entered higher education with intermediate-level or native country examination results (p < 0.001). However, there is no detectable difference (p > 0.05) between students who graduate at the intermediate level and students who graduate with a native country certificate. A regression model, based on the median admission scores, exhibited a trend of improving results for foreign students. The R2 quadratic determination coefficient is 0.705. This study provides insights into the educational pathways and decisions of Hungarian students residing abroad, underlining the influence of the national context and public education systems on their educational trajectories.

Transnational Citizen Journalism for Resistance and Solidarity: The Case of a Sinophone Community on Instagram

This study focuses on a new trend in journalism, which we conceptualize as transnational citizen journalism. We argue that the diasporic and transnational production and consumption of alternative and counter-hegemonic information by nonprofessional individuals have sparked fresh imaginations and opened up new spaces for journalism, particularly in authoritarian contexts. We specifically examine several prominent transnational citizen journalism projects that played a significant role in the large-scale protests against China’s stringent Covid-zero policy in late 2022. Through a content analysis of the multimodal content posted on these projects’ Instagram accounts, and semistructured interviews with account creators, we argue that these transnational citizen journalism projects have built a solidarity infrastructure, connecting individuals and communities who share the value of challenging authoritarianism but come from different localities and backgrounds. Its foundation rests on the passion of diasporic creators for their native country, the engagement of a largely youthful audience with public affairs, and a global platform enabling transnational information flow. This network also extends to international communities opposing oppression in nations such as Iran and Russia.

Interaction of L1 attrition, language attitudes and identity in Lithuanian diaspora

Abstract Researchers note that the complex process of language attrition is influenced by a plethora of multifaceted factors, among which attitudes and identity play significant roles. The aim of this paper is to analyse the way in which language attitudes and identity are related to Lithuanian L1 attrition in Lithuanian emigrant communities residing in various countries worldwide. This is achieved by studying the extralinguistic factors, such as convictions about the importance of the heritage Lithuanian language in life, feelings associated with the Lithuanian language, identification with the culture and history of the native and/or host country and the country itself. The quantitative data comes from large-scale Lithuanian diaspora surveys and is used to analyse the link between self-perceived L1 attrition, language attitudes, and identity. The analysis is illustrated by citations from the in-depth interviews that constitute the qualitative part of the data. The study’s results show that there is a correlation between the perceived Lithuanian L1 attrition and both language attitudes and identity. The language attitudes of those emigrants who perceive their L1 attrition are less positive towards the L1, and they identify less with Lithuanian culture and Lithuania when compared to those who do not perceive attrition.

Lifestyle migrants as Eliasian ‘outsiders’: The case of Swedish emigrants to Portugal

AbstractThis paper discusses the emigration process by the Swedes permanently residing in Portugal and their emotional ties to the Swedish society. The focus is on those who have no ambition nor desire to keep up any ties with Sweden after they have emigrated to Portugal. Hitherto, the non‐intention to return is, both empirically and theoretically, underexplored in migration research. To enrich the conceptual framework, we incorporate Hirschmann's theory on loyalty, voice, and exit with Elias's established/outsider‐theory. The findings suggest that many of the Swedes in Portugal with no intentions to return were Eliasian ‘outsiders’ before leaving Sweden. We conclude that all lifestyle migrants do not migrate to'practice privilege’ or'self‐fulfilment’, partly contesting what is known about lifestyle migrations associated with European north‐south migrations; some have done a Hirschmann ‘exit’, left their native country and try to prosper somewhere else. The added value of this paper is its potential to explain why emigrants choose not to maintain ties with their country of origin.

VIII season of the UralEndo forum Tobolsk plenary session, April 26-27, 2024

The article is dedicated to the plenum of the leaders of the UralEndo forum, held on April 26-27, 2024 in Tobolsk - the city that is rightfully the spiritual heart of the Urals and western Siberia, the cultural and historical center of Russia, where the current state tasks of primary health care development are closely intertwined with the tasks of preserving the best traditions of domestic medicine for the benefit of patients and our native country! In brief overview of the plenum events, the main topics are briefly presented, the achievements and problems of endoscopy in the huge Ural region are summarized, the main working tasks of the forum for the near future are formulated with reference to modern promising methods of endoscopic diagnosis and treatment based on advanced Russian and international experience of their introduction into broad clinical practice at all levels of medical care, starting from the primary level.

Shoprite Holdings LtdCase Study: Challenges for Expansion in Africa

This study investigates the obstacles faced by the African expansion efforts of Shoprite Holdings Ltd., a South African retailer. Shoprite pursued mergers and acquisitions within its native country but established wholly owned subsidiaries as its preferred entry route for expanding into other African states. As a result, Shoprite significantly increased its operations by expanding to 16 nations by 2020. However, Shoprite currently focuses its operation in ten countries, exclusively in southern African countries and its home country. This study seeks to comprehend the reasons behind Shoprite's rapid withdrawal from multiple African countries and shed insight into the challenges of conducting business in Africa's demanding business climate. The analysis revealed a combination of economic variables, such as reduced purchasing power of customers, currency volatility, increased operational costs, and the economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, high customer preference for informal markets and social factors were also identified. The findings indicate that Shoprite should prioritize strategic location selection, adopt a lower entry mode, and consider the potential for developing e-commerce as feasible measures. The report proposes that African retail businesses should comprehend the intricacies of the African market and employ strategies for international expansion, entrance techniques, and the significance of adjusting operations to local conditions and regulatory environments. These discussions offer insights to organizations considering international expansion, seeking to mitigate risks, and aiming to optimize their market entry strategy in various locations, specifically Africa.

Is It Real? The Construction of Prejudice Against Nigerian Immigrants in Italy: A Case Study

Italian public opinion has developed, through the years, a strong discriminatory attitude against the Nigerian community. It is based on the assumption that Nigerians are involved in the illegal sex industry. Moral entrepreneurs, such as politicians and charity activists, as well as scholars, fuel this rhetoric, as they represent Nigerian women either as victims of smugglers in their native country and in Italy, or as attracted by easy gains. Moreover, it is taken for granted that they follow primitive beliefs and rituals, such as Juju. This paper will focus on a case study, highlighting the process of criminalization of Nigerians. After discussing different perspectives about migration, a judicial case involving a network of Nigerian citizens will analyse how the mainstream representation of migration and sex workers results, at the end of the day, in discriminatory prejudices. The final part will propose to change the focus of the analysis from smuggling and exploitation of human beings to a human rights approach.

Psychological Aspects Regarding Intercultural Transformation Through Communication – Elements of Interest in the Practice of Social Work

When a foreign group that wants to relocate comes into contact with the culture of the host group, the process of intercultural adaptation of both groups is set in motion. The process starts and continues through communication, regardless of its form. During this process, individuals undergo a certain degree of intercultural transformation, corresponding to the degree of communication they have had. Transformation is bilateral and occurs naturally and inevitably, even when foreigners do not seek to adapt and want to maintain their individuality, even if they do not have a proactive attitude in order for adaptation to occur, even when there is no desire to effectively participate in communicative activities with the hosts and the foreigners choose to mainly become implicated in superficial contacts with the natives. Even in extreme conflictual situations, such as war or the crisis of refugees, the individuals who came into contact with the culture of the states where they took refuge, upon returning to their own country, no longer have the same cultural traits as when they left their native country. The purpose of this article is to theoretically analyze the psychological mechanisms that are of interest in the field of social work regarding the process of intercultural transformation that takes place through communication between the host group and the foreign group in the clash of two different cultures.

Relations of Estonian exile book to the native country and the world

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69 Adherence to the ASCO Language of Respect guidelines in renal cell carcinoma abstracts in an international oncology meeting

Abstract Background The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Language of Respect (LoR) guidelines were developed to promote the use of patient-centered language in all communications in 2020. The Language of Respect guidelines provide a directive to encourage the highest level of respect in addressing patients with cancer. In this study, we aimed to analyze the adherence to these guidelines in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) abstracts presented at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting, the largest international meeting of oncologists. Methods All RCC abstracts published in the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting were evaluated. Statements from the abstracts were collected and stratified into the three categories of the LoR guidelines: (1) “Do not blame patients”, (2) “Respect the role of patients”, and (3) “Do not dehumanize patients”. Abstract and author data were summarized using descriptive statistics, and univariable and multivariable analyses were utilized to identify factors associated with odds of noncompliance with the guidelines. Results In total, 101 RCC abstracts were assessed. Most abstracts were published as poster presentations (51.5%) followed by online publication only (44.6%) and oral abstracts (4.0%). First authors affiliated with institutions in native English-speaking countries constituted 69.3% of the abstracts. Authors affiliated with institutions from a single country comprised 67.3% of the abstracts, whereas 32.7% of the abstracts were affiliated with authors from multiple countries. 40.6% of abstracts received no funding, 36.6% of abstracts received funding from a pharmaceutical company, and 22.8% received funding from non-profit organizations, institutions, or grants. There were 34 (33.7%) abstracts associated with clinical trials versus 67 (66.3%) associated with non-clinical trials. 51.5% of abstracts remained within 5% of the character count limit. Overall, 60.4% of the abstracts contained at least one statement that violated the guidelines. Abstracts with at least one statement violating “Do not dehumanize patients”, “Do not blame patients”, and “Respect the role of patients” directives were found in 46.5%, 21.8%, and 1.0% of abstracts, respectively. Abstracts within 5% of the character count limit were associated with increased odds of guideline noncompliance in the univariable analysis (OR 0.33 [95% CI 0.14-0.75], p=0.008). By multivariable analysis, abstracts within 5% of the character count limit were also associated with higher odds of violating the guidelines (OR 0.31 [95% CI 0.13-0.71], p=0.006). Conclusions A significant portion of RCC abstracts were found to violate the LoR guidelines. Our results highlight the importance of considering the expansion of the character count limit for abstract submissions to increase adherence to the LoR guidelines. With the incorporation of LoR guidelines in all forms of communication, the scientific community can promote increased use of respectful language in addressing patients, families, and colleagues.

Macro Skills Development Management of Chinese EFL Learners in Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Managing students’ macro skills development is necessary for any nation especially for non- native English-speaking countries not only because it can fully benefit them from global commerce but also for the reason that nations with higher levels of English language skills have stronger economies and enjoy a higher quality of life. This study critically analyzed the macro skills development management of the Grade 5students of Taipei Municipal Shezi Elementary School. It employed the Descriptive Survey Research Method and Comparative Analysis that were both transcribed in English and Traditional Chinese languages. Weighted Mean, Frequency Count, and Percentage were used to determine the implementation extent of the macro skills development program for the Chinese EFL learners as perceived by the three stakeholder groups, namely: the English teachers, the school administrators, and the policymakers along the four language components, namely: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in terms of the three management functions, namely: Planning, Commanding, and Controlling. Moreover, Independent (Paired) t Test, One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Post Hoc Test were utilized to ascertain the significant difference that exists on the implementation of the macro skills development program along the four language components in terms of the three management functions when categorized according to the perceptions of the three stakeholder groups. Furthermore, Frequency Count, Percentage, and Rank Order were employed to identify the factors attributed to the macro skills development of the Chinese EFL learners. The results of the study revealed that the macro skills development program for the Chinese EFL learners is highly implemented by the current educational managers of the state. It also went to show that the identified factors are rather pivotal to the realization and quality of bilingualism policy in the state. Thus, the BENEDICTUS Language Development Program Management Framework was created to help optimize the macro skills development management of EFL students around the world.

The Development and Evaluation of Alternative Communication Strategies to Facilitate Interactions with Refugees in Obstetric Triage: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: In this pilot study, we investigate the potential of pictographs to facilitate communication and accelerate care for non-English speaking birthing people in triage. The immigrant and refugee populations have been steadily increasing in the United States; reproductive age women are a large percentage of those who seek medical care. Barriers to care include timely access to interpreters, which can delay treatment. Pictographs have been used successfully in medicine in various situations such as pharmaceutical instruction and symptom description. We searched extensively for obstetric triage pictographs with little success. To address this, we created a pictograph sheet specifically for common obstetrical complaints. Methods: The most common reasons for visiting triage were ascertained. From these, key topics were identified for drawings. For each topic, the authors drafted scripts for a list of relevant actions. The actions for each topic were then represented by a professional illustrator in pictographs. Pictographs were developed using the following guidelines: focus on actions people should take, include prompts within pictures such as labels or arrows and exclude nonessential details such as room background and elaborate borders. After the pictographs were developed, its appropriateness, accuracy and relevance were reviewed and validated by two experts with experience in women’ care. The experts perceived that the drawings represented the actions well in a simple and clean manner. The following concerns were depicted: decreased fetal movement, abnormal vaginal discharge, rupture of membranes, vaginal bleeding, vision changes, shortness of breath, nausea, contractions, headaches, and overall assessment of wellbeing. Focus groups were developed collaboratively with Della Lamb, a resettlement agency. Inclusion criteria included women of reproductive age who are non-English speaking and currently pregnant. These focus groups were held at the University Health. Two focus groups were created: one with refugees from Afghanistan and one with refugees from the Congo. Each focus group was guided by a licensed medical interpreter of their native language: Dari and Swahili, respectively, and ranged from 3 to 4 participants. One by one the pictograms were introduced to the group. Each participant was asked what they think the illustration represents. For participants’ comfort, groups were not recorded; instead, notes were taken by observers during and after the discussion. The participants read the text and pictographs and were asked to identify if pictographs were clear, understandable, and acceptable. Results: Congolese Focus Group: Participants’ ages varied in their 30s. All had recently immigrated to the United States and lived in Missouri for less than 6 months. They were in the second trimester of their pregnancy and had at least one prenatal visit in the United States. They were all multiparous women with previous uncomplicated vaginal deliveries in their native country. All could read and write in Swahili but spoke no English. They all had no previous experience with the medical health system in the United States. Afghani Focus Group: Participants’ ages varied in their 20-30s. All had recently immigrated to the United States and lived in Missouri for less than 3 months. 3 women were in their second trimester, 1 was in her third trimester. Aside from 1, the rest (3) were multiparous women with previous uncomplicated vaginal deliveries in their native country. 3 of them could read and write in Dari but spoke no English. They all had no previous experience with the medical health system in the United States. Comprehension was significantly different between the two groups. Overall, the Congolese group of women misunderstood the purpose of the pictographs. No picture was understandable to the patients. It was also apparent that the patients did not realize these were issues for which to come to triage. There was also ambiguity regarding the color, i.e. they did not correlate green with nausea. The general prohibition sign was also absent in meaning for them. However, all of the patients expressed interest in learning what each picture meant and would like to have that option there if they came to triage and could not get an interpreter. The Dari group did not understand shortness of breath or nausea. However, they were familiar with the other symptoms and able to identify those as reasons to come to triage. The patients were also familiar with colors and scales. Conclusion: The pictograph-based approach might be an effective tool in developing health-care instructions for immigrant women with limited literacy skills. However, research is needed regarding limitations due to cultural backgrounds. Future research is also needed to compare the effect of pictograph-enhanced instructions with written text-based instructions on adherence to instructions and health outcomes.

Aesthetic Surgery Tourism: An Opportunity or a Danger?

Medical and surgical tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon in post-pandemic Europe. The exodus of patients abroad to perform surgery, especially cosmetic treatments, is spreading recently in industrialized countries. In the social media era, the ease of access to advertising about surgical procedures and their costs favors traveling. However, the information given is not always punctual, and there is often a lack of patient awareness about the risks related to the procedures. The objective of the manuscript is to investigate, through clinical examples, the path that a patient operated on in a non-European country must face once he returns home. From the availability and translation of clinical documentation to the problems encountered in revision surgeries. Thirteen cases of surgical tourism, patients who presented to our department with surgical complications, are investigated. Adverse events occurring during medical treatment abroad raised medico-legal and appropriateness issues, as well as concerns regarding the follow-up of patients. The current literature confirmed the high complication rate: It affects individual patients and the native country's healthcare systems. Therefore, patients must learn more about the dangers of traveling abroad for surgery. Education initiatives in the patient's home country might help achieve this. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Role of intraorganizational social capital and perceived organizational support on expatriate job performance: empirical evidence

Purpose An expatriate is a person living outside their native country and is physically mobile across international borders for professional or personal reasons, whether for a short or long time, whether organizationally sponsored or not. In the competitive and globalized world, expatriation helps organizations to sustain international competition. Based on the social capital theory, performance theory and organizational support theory, this study aims to explore the impact of intraorganizational social capital (IOSC) and perceived organizational support (POS) on expatriate job performance (EJP) along with the intervening role of Islamic work ethics (IWE). Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from Expatriate employees working in UAE for at least three years among various knowledge-based industries. A total of 268 filled responses were received using the convenience sampling technique. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that POS and IOSC positively influence most EJP dimensions except demonstrating effect dimension and IWE acts as a partial mediator. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, and the respondents are white color expatriates working in the knowledge-based industries across the United Arab Emirates. Various other business sectors, such as tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, oil and energy can be considered in the study context and longitudinal research designs can be adapted to generalize the findings. Research limitations/implications The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, and the respondents are white color expatriates working in the knowledge-based industries across the United Arab Emirates. Various other business sectors, such as tourism, hospitality, manufacturing, oil and energy, can be considered the study context and longitudinal research designs can be adopted to generalize the findings. Practical implications Human resource managers need to formulate their company policies so that a recruit is given orientation and training the existing workforce on the benefits of IWE, as it can be seen as developing employee morale and ethical behavior. Onboarding an expat from different regions is an expensive initiative for the organization. The organization should consider both tangible and intangible costs that go into the recruitment, selection and onboarding of an expat. Originality/value Very few studies have explored the role of IWE with a second-order EJP construct with the respondents from the knowledge-based industries of the UAE.

The cost of cosmetic surgery tourism complications to the NHS: A retrospective analysis

IntroductionMedical tourism refers to the process of patients travelling outside of their native country to undergo elective surgical procedures and is a rapidly expanding healthcare phenomenon [1–3]. Whilst a multitude of established Private Healthcare Providers (PHPs) offer cosmetic surgical procedures within the United Kingdom (UK), a growing number of patients are opting to travel outside of the UK to undergo cosmetic surgery. AimTo assess the number of patients presenting to the Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit, with cosmetic surgery tourism complications, from outside of the UK, and the associated costs to NHS Scotland over a five-year period. MethodsA retrospective case review of a prospectively maintained trauma database, which records all acute referrals, was undertaken analysing patients referred from January 1st 2019 to December 31st 2023 inclusive. Results81 patients presented over five years with complications of cosmetic surgery tourism. The most common presenting complaints were wound dehiscence (49.4%) or wound infection (24.7%). The total cost to NHS Scotland was £755,559.68 with an average of £9327.90 per patient. ConclusionThis is the largest single centre cohort of cosmetic surgery tourism complications reported within the NHS to date; with rates on the rise, demand grows for increased patient information regarding healthcare tourism risks, a national consensus on the extent of NHS management and urgent international collaboration with policymakers is required to address this issue across borders.

WAR AS A FACTOR OF TRANSFORMATION IN PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF UKRAINIANS

The purpose of the study was to identify transformations in the public consciousness of Ukrainians caused by Russian aggression, primarily its impact on their awareness of their own identity, the components of which are historical memory, self-definition in relation to one's own country and people, relations with other peoples and countries, basic values, on which social life is based. Methodology. An idea about the nature and depth of these transformations can be based on the analysis of empirical data, including the content of mass media and social networks. However, the most relevant in this sense are the data of sociological studies, which allow us to see the mentioned processes in dynamics, and therefore to draw conclusions about the presence of certain trends and formulate certain forecasts based on them. The article analyzes the results of sociological research conducted in August - September 2022 by the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, the sociological service of the Razumkov Center, and the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Results. They witnessed significant changes in the attitude of Ukrainians, in particular, to the historical past, iconic historical figures and recently influential non-state institutions. On a number of issues, traditional differences in assessments between residents of central and western Ukraine, on the one hand, and eastern and southern Ukraine, on the other, are observed. At the same time, the factors contributing to the unification of Ukrainian citizens around common values, such as state independence, Ukrainian citizenship, and the native country as a place where a person sees his future, have been identified. A certain consensus was also found regarding who is responsible for the war waged against Ukraine, and the nature of future relations with Russia and the Russian people.

Reflections on the Experience and the Effect of Nostalgia Seen through Andrei Tarkovsky's Film Nostalghia (1983)

The aim of this research is the cultural, temporal, and spatial displacement of an individual from their native country as a trigger for nostalgia. Consequently, the material for this analysis is drawn from the artistic film Nostalghia (1983), the first work of Soviet/Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, shot outside the USSR. As this is a work with autobiographical elements, I approach it as a form of emotional expression. Focusing on the experience of nostalgia, Tarkovsky posits the thesis that it is a burdensome, melancholic, and, in its ultimate reaches, deadly experience. In an attempt to find answers to the question why nostalgia is imagined, experienced, or lived in a particular way, I am guided by the basic assumption that it is not only the ambivalent nature of nostalgia itself, but also its effect of being stuck, which makes it an unbearable burden. Being stuck is not devoid of movement, but it lacks action in terms of efficacy and effectiveness. In interpreting the material concerning the experience of nostalgia, its temporal dimension, and its effectiveness, I will rely on the theoretical-methodological concept framework of the anthropology of emotions and migration, as well as Davis's sociology of nostalgia. This analysis indicates that the burden of this emotion, even its potential deadly outcome, lies in the nostalgic experience as a state of being stuck.

International Children and the Institutional Infrastructures of Schools in Finland

Growing numbers of children are moving between countries because of their parent(s)’ careers. The temporary labour migration of highly educated professionals – sometimes called career expatriates or transnational corporate elites (Amit 2002; Fechter 2007) – is increasing in various parts of the world. Finland, among many countries, welcomes such professionals both because they offer skills that are needed in the global competitive markets and because the country’s domestic population is ageing. Often, these professionals do not intend to stay permanently but rather to return to their native countries or move on to other locations after a few years. The international professionals are often accompanied by their spouses and children. In this paper, I focus on a central institutional infrastructure in these children’s lives, namely education and schools. I elaborate on international schools in Finland, and on the children’s position within this infrastructure. The paper is based on extensive ethnographic research in an international school in a Finnish town.

The Existential Crisis in Naipaul’s Novel a Bend in the River

The novel A Bend in the River presents the transitional period from colonial to postcolonial in an unnamed African country through the life experiences and challenges that the main character, Salim, goes through. Naipaul presents everything through Salim’s perspective by making him the representative of all the migrants that have to undergo a double tragedy: losing their native country, its culture, and customs and tradition by adopting into the new country. The second tragedy occurs when they no longer are seen as part of this new country, where they have already tried to make themselves fit to the new culture, traditions, and mentally they consider themselves as an integral part of it. Thus, Salim and all the migrants go through this transitional process but with a very high cost: losing themselves, their identity, and the feeling of rootlessness. This paper focuses on the crisis of identity and their existential quest in this never-ending process of transformation toward political democracy and prosperity. Received: 9 February 2024 / Accepted: 19 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

Comparative analysis of Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews over three decades

BackgroundSystematic reviews are viewed as the best study design to guide clinical decision-making as they are the least biased publications assuming they are well-conducted and include well-designed studies. Cochrane was initiated in 1993 with an aim of conducting high-quality systematic reviews. We aimed to examine the publication rates of non-Cochrane systematic reviews (henceforth referred to simply as “systematic reviews”) and Cochrane reviews produced throughout Cochrane’s existence and characterize changes throughout the period.MethodsThis observational study collected data on systematic reviews published between 1993 and 2022 in PubMed. Identified Cochrane reviews were linked to data from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via their Digital Object Identifier. Systematic reviews and Cochrane reviews were analyzed separately. Two authors screened a random sample of records to validate the overall sample, providing a precision of 98%.ResultsWe identified 231,602 (94%) systematic reviews and 15,038 (6%) Cochrane reviews. Publication of systematic reviews has continuously increased with a median yearly increase rate of 26%, while publication of Cochrane reviews has decreased since 2015. From 1993 to 2002, Cochrane reviews constituted 35% of all systematic reviews in PubMed compared with 3.5% in 2013–2022. Systematic reviews consistently had fewer authors than Cochrane reviews, but the number of authors increased over time for both. Chinese first authors conducted 15% and 4% of systematic reviews published from 2013–2022 and 2003–2012, respectively. Most Cochrane reviews had first authors from the UK (36%). The native English-speaking countries the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia produced a large share of systematic reviews (42%) and Cochrane reviews (62%). The largest publishers of systematic reviews in the last 10 years were gold open access journals.ConclusionsPublication of systematic reviews is increasing rapidly, while fewer Cochrane reviews have been published through the last decade. Native English-speaking countries produced a large proportion of both types of systematic reviews. Gold open access journals and Chinese first authors dominated the publication of systematic reviews for the past 10 years. More research is warranted examining why fewer Cochrane reviews are being published. Additionally, examining these systematic reviews for research waste metrics may provide a clearer picture of their utility.