Research Productivity Research Articles

Boundary Spanning, Funder-Initiated Grants and Research Productivity

Boundary Spanning, Funder-Initiated Grants and Research Productivity

Comparative analysis of FDA approvals by top 20 pharma companies (2014–2023)

This article addresses the research and development (R&D) productivity challenge of the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-related new drug approvals of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies (2014-2023). We evaluated the degree of innovation in new drugs to determine the innovativeness of these leading companies. A key finding of our analysis is the decline in the number of new drugs approved by the FDA for these leading companies over the investigated time period. This trend suggests that some of the leading companies are losing ground in R&D innovation, raising concerns about their ability to sustain competitive advantage, ensure long-term market success, and maintain viable business models.

Trends in Rhinoplasty Research in Saudi Arabia: A 30-Year Bibliometric Analysis.

Rhinoplasty is one of the most commonly performed aesthetic surgeries. Saudi Arabia has a large number of rhinoplasty publications. Here, we aimed to assess the past, present, and future research output related to rhinoplasty in Saudi Arabia and compare it with global output. We performed a bibliometric analysis to evaluate rhinoplasty research productivity trends in Saudi Arabia from 1995 to 2021 in both cosmetic and reconstructive rhinoplasties. We considered all publications whose first authors were from Saudi Arabia or whose authors contributed significantly to a paper from Saudi Arabia, even though the first author was not from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We evaluated the research quality of the articles using the impact factor of the journal in which the article was published. For each article, the number of authors, number of citations received, study design, region of the first author, and the level of evidence were collected. We gained several insights into the global trends of rhinoplasty in research and its position. We observed a significant increase in the number of publications on rhinoplasty in Saudi Arabia. Although there was no significant increase in the impact factor, most publications had a level of evidence of I or II.

Competition or Diversion? Effect of Public Sharing of Data on Research Productivity of Data Provider

Competition or Diversion? Effect of Public Sharing of Data on Research Productivity of Data Provider

Facilitators and barriers to undertaking research into the practice and delivery of clinical ultrasound: A qualitative investigation

IntroductionIncreasing research productivity of clinicians can deliver benefits for healthcare organisations and those who work in them, but a notably larger proportion of ultrasound practitioners are interested in undertaking research than are actively engaged in it. This study aimed to understand this gap by investigating the facilitators and barriers to conducting research in professionals from multiple disciplines whose work is focused on clinical ultrasound. MethodsCurrent and prospective researchers from any discipline interested in or undertaking research into the practice and delivery of clinical ultrasound were recruited between March and June 2023. Participants completed semi-structured qualitative interviews with a researcher via video platform. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. ResultsTwelve participants (8 women, 4 men) from a range of disciplines participated. Five themes were identified, which were: 1) research is a challenging path, 2) interpersonal networks fuel research, 3) research requires resources, 4) data collection challenges and 5) scientific curiosity. These suggested that 1) participants experienced research as a challenging career path; 2) formal and informal networks provided important knowledge and opportunities; 3) research was a resource–intensive activity, requiring time and funding, and other professional/clinical commitments often took priority; 4) data collection and applying for ethical approval were barriers requiring specialist knowledge to overcome; and 5) personal scientific curiosity and desire for achievement were key drivers motivating participants to continue in research. ConclusionsMotivation for engaging in ultrasound research activity was mainly internal. Additional barriers and facilitators were external, including time, information and interpersonal networks. Implications for practiceOrganisations can increase the likelihood of research activity by ultrasound practitioners by providing allocated research time and social support networks. It may be particularly fruitful to focus on helping prospective researchers bridge the gap between ‘novice’ and ‘beginner’ phases.

Skills Development in Hydrologic Sciences for Cohorts of Graduate Students from Morocco, Egypt, Türkiye, and Indonesia

AbstractIn developing countries in Africa and Asia, meeting challenges of water scarcity and pollution has often been hampered by shortcomings in higher education, including insufficient research productivity and funding, lack of opportunity for university graduates, and a mismatch between university activities and societal needs. To address these issues, we developed novel programs integrating technical instruction and preparation for professional practice in hydrology for cohorts of graduate students from Morocco and Egypt (2012–2013) and from Türkiye and Indonesia (2013–2014). Students participated in an initial online course and a follow‐up workshop featuring geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and hydrologic modeling with internet‐based data sets. Field activities in the USA (first cohort) and in the students’ home countries (second cohort) included stream gauging, measurement of water levels in wells, water sampling, and measurement of hydrochemical parameters. A subsequent online course focused on research ethics, preparing proposals and publications, and presenting findings to technical audiences and the public, culminating in presentations at conferences in the USA. Participants mentored other students at their home institutions and at K‐12 schools in Türkiye and Indonesia. Participant feedback during and after the programs tended to be strongly positive, and participants have continued to engage with project leaders and mentor students in their home countries and the USA. Our modular, hybrid approach offers a template for students in hydrology and related fields to develop relevant skills and engage internationally.

Where Do Plastic Surgery Leaders Come From? A Cross-sectional Analysis of Research Productivity.

It is increasingly apparent that plastic surgery residency applications with lengthy research publications are the new standard in applicant competitiveness. This study aims to evaluate the research history of plastic surgery program faculty leadership to understand the trends and evolution of research expectations. The curriculum vitaes of faculty involved in residency admissions among all US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited integrated and independent plastic surgery programs were reviewed. Doximity, program websites, and Scopus were used to gather information. H-index and publication count at the time of medical school and residency graduations were collected. Student t test and Pearson product-moment correlation were used for analysis. Of the 236 plastic surgeons considered, faculty averaged one publication by medical school graduation, two by general surgery residency graduation, and six by plastic surgery residency graduation. Integrated residents held more publications after medical school (1.67 versus 0.56; P = 0.09) and plastic surgery residency (8.48 versus 4.89; P = 0.01) compared with independent residents. Later plastic surgery residency graduation year correlated with more publications (P < 0.001). Chairs had higher h-indices compared with program directors and associate positions (chair: 23.7, program director: 14.7, associate: 12.2; P < 0.001). The majority of faculty leaders' research was published after residency. The emerging trend of increased research volume among plastic surgeons-in-training may be a consequence of competitive research requirements to matriculate into residency. Longer-term career follow-up of newer graduates will need to be assessed to determine whether this predicts future postgraduate productivity or if it is just the price of admission to train as a plastic surgeon.

Technology and Access to Healthcare with Different Scheduling Systems: A Scoping Review.

Online consultation scheduling is increasingly common in health services across various countries. This paper reviews articles published in the past five years and reflects on the risks and benefits of this practice, linking it to a recent Portuguese pilot project. A search for articles from Web of Science and Scopus published since 2018 was conducted using the terms "online scheduling," "online booking," and "consultations." This search was completed in the last week of 2023. Out of 64 articles retrieved, 26 were relevant to the topic. These articles were reviewed, and their main findings, along with those from other relevant sources, were discussed. Several limitations of online consultations were identified, encompassing ethical, clinical, and economic aspects. While these consultations tend to be less expensive, their accessibility varies based on factors such as the users' age, whether they reside in rural or urban areas, and the technological capabilities of different countries, indicating that access disparities may continue to widen. Confidentiality concerns also arise, varying by medical specialty, along with issues related to payment. Overall, however, both users and health professionals view the advent of online consultation booking positively. In conclusion, despite the risks identified, online consultation booking has the potential to enhance user access to health services, provided that usage limitations and technological disparities are addressed. Research production has not kept pace with rapid technological advancements.

A Volunteer Passion: A Qualitative Look at How We Measure and Reward the Work of Medical Educators.

Background Medical educators face many challenges, including the absence of defined roles, lack of standard career paths, and limited support in systems that generally prioritize research and clinical productivity over educational activities. Providers also teach to widely varying degrees. This study was designed to specifically examine the professional rewards and obstacles experienced by physicians who have dedicated significant energy and career focus to medical education. Methodology A phenomenological approach was used in this qualitative study.Purposeful sampling was utilized to identify medical educators from different institutions and geographical areas. Participants were categorized by gender and career stage. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop themes across items and participants. Results Twenty-two medical educators were interviewed (11 males, 11 females), with an average age of 51 (range: 38-72) years. The average time from completion of training was 18 years (range: <1 to 41 years). Two main themes were constructed, which related to medical educators' career motivations and challenges: (1) Joy and purpose (subthemes: Interaction with learners, Impact, and Innovation) and (2) Everyone teaches(subthemes: Lack of recognition, Lack of reward, Malalignment of metrics) Conclusions The greatest source of motivation and satisfaction for medical educators is linked to the work itself; in addition to interactions with learners, educators derive pleasure from the innovation, collaboration, and systems thinking involved in their work. Importantly, participants also experience dissatisfaction, primarily due to a lack of recognition and reward, and metrics that do not consistently demonstrate their achievements.Participants provided examples of metrics that more accurately reflected the work of education; they identified clear benefits of academic promotion; and they highlighted significant challenges in the promotional system. The implementation of appropriate systems of measurement and reward is needed to better support the work of medical educators. Our aim should benot only to increase opportunities for satisfaction but also to reduce factors that cause frustration and limit advancement.

A theory of change evaluation of doctoral admission methods: A case study of a Chinese university

In response to China's incentive for "connotative development" in doctoral education, universities are actively fostering creative and innovative PhD candidates with enhanced research productivity and superior educational quality. A Chinese university, aligning with this objective, has initiated significant reforms in its doctoral admission methods, introducing a new type of student and altering the proportion of existing ones. Recognizing the complexity and uncertainty inherent in the doctoral admission process, this theory-based study employs a Theory of Change framework to systematically evaluate the immediate, intermediate, and long-term outcomes of this university's interventions. It assesses the transformative impact of these changes by integrating secondary data with qualitative insights, including focus group discussions with twelve students and semi-structured interviews with three supervisors. The study reveals that while this university has made substantial progress in achieving short-term goals, these reforms have not uniformly benefited all student categories, presenting distinct challenges and opportunities for stakeholders. Consequently, it advocates for diversifying the student composition and emphasizes inclusive pedagogical strategies to facilitate high-quality doctoral education. Importantly, this research extends beyond this university, promoting a balanced mix of student profiles and a holistic approach to shaping effective policies and practices within doctoral admission, essential for navigating global competition.

Optimizing Available Resources to Revitalize the Tourism Economy of the Rural Commune of Iarintsena

This article is the product of in-depth research and strategies to mobilize and empower local stakeholders and tries to suggest some approaches, as well. Two methodologies are taken into account: The positive normative and SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat). The latter enables us to present and identify the tourism development potential and issues. In 2021, Madagascar generated around 111.00 million US dollars, corresponds to 0.73 percent of its GDP in the tourism sector alone. Driven by favorable base effects, growth expected to accelerate to an average of 4.6% over 2024-26. Nowadays, tourism can offer high opportunities for cultural exchange between visitors and local communities. The research results from the project simulation works were used to draw up a budget for tourism activities. The rural commune of IARINTSENA, located in the south-eastern part of the Haute Matsiatra region and a few kilometers from the Ambalavao district, has tourism assets that appear to be weakened by innumerable constraints. The design of the commune&amp;apos;s development strategies should take into account the realities and aspirations of the local population. Highlighting the commune&amp;apos;s specific tourist attractions should encourage technical and financial partners to invest in the tourism development project. It’s important to put the touristic specificity of IARINTSENA in evidence in order to incite the technical and financial partners.

Challenges and Barriers to Commercialization of Health Sciences Research Results: A Qualitative Study

Background: In today's world, due to intense competition and the rapid pace of production, exploiting knowledge and converting it into economic returns has become a critical management issue for academics and capital owners. Commercialization activities can impact the educational and research programs of universities, potentially leading to resistance against them. Objectives: The current study was conducted to identify the challenges of the commercialization process in health science research. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted between June and December 2022 in Tehran province, Iran. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 22 key individuals, including university management and technology experts, as well as CEOs and experts from knowledge-based companies, selected through purposive sampling. The interview guide was designed based on four in-depth interviews, theoretical foundations, and comparative study findings. The obtained data were analyzed using the conventional content analysis method in MAXQDA 10 software. Results: The challenges of the commercialization process for health sciences research results were categorized into six main themes and 16 sub-themes. The main themes identified in this study were rules and regulations, societal culture, university management and infrastructure, human resources, financial systems, and organizational cooperation with industry. Conclusions: Policymakers, especially senior health managers, can create a suitable platform for the optimal use of resources and the expansion of targeted relationships between universities and industries by incorporating economic insight into academic services. By compiling relevant laws and guidelines, optimizing resource management, achieving financial independence for universities, and increasing the productivity of health research, the high costs associated with the commercialization of academic research projects can be reduced.

The role of collaborative research network on E-waste studies in North America using a bibliometric approach

Electronic waste (E-waste) has been extensively investigated by researchers throughout the globe, however specific research trends in North America (NA) are yet unknown. This study attempts to present an up-to-date bibliometric view of the e-waste studies, and to identify the research sub-fields and networks. A total of 370 documents were retrieved from the WoS database (from 2005 to 2023). E-waste research topic that originated from NA, as well as its relative growth rate, collaborative measures, institutional productivity, and the popular journals were evaluated in this bibliometric analysis. The study showed that research productivity increased noticeably in the last decade. The USA has the most e-waste publications (72.70%), followed by Canada (22.70%) and Mexico (9.19%). The topic with the highest percentage of papers (209, or 56.49%) was environmental science. Resources Conservation and Recycling was the most active journal on e-waste research. The University of California, USA (8.64%) played an active role in the publication. Author's keywords can be generally grouped into four clusters. Network analysis results suggest that collaborative activities by leading universities will likely boost the number of studies. A diversified and strong collaborative research network may be a key driver for e-waste research output, but not necessarily research impact. It is recommended that policy makers and funding agencies create collaborative funding programs specifically for e-waste research.

A scoping review of out-of-hospital research in Ireland from 2000 to 2022

A key component to the continued development of any profession is a strong research culture. For paramedicine, a research culture that acknowledges the uniqueness of the out-of-hospital setting allows clinical practice to develop. Recent international publications investigating paramedicine research outputs demonstrated that Ireland was not strongly represented in the production of paramedicine-based research. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and evaluate the quantity and quality of the research published to date in the Irish out-of-hospital literature, and to identify research gaps that may need to be addressed. A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance. All studies that reported on out-of-hospital care in the Republic of Ireland were included. MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and grey literature sources were searched from 2000 until 2022 for relevant articles in March 2023. Key authors were contacted to identify missing articles and data were extracted to present the final publication yield. Scientific quality was assessed using Clarivate Average Journal Impact Factor Percentiles. Over 3200 research outputs were identified from the databases with a final yield of 294 research outputs included in this review. Research outputs were identified for most years included in the review period, with outputs published in a large range of journals. Research heavily focused on areas linked to the Clinical Practice Guidelines, and predominantly used quantitative data collection methods. Most authors identified in this review were named on only one output. However, diversification in research topics and methodologies, a concerted effort to ensure practitioners are leading research and support to ensure that conference presentations are continued to peer-reviewed publication would strengthen this resolve.

Does gender predict research awards among prolific suicidologists? A research note.

Rewards can both validate and promote the stature of a researcher in their field. Research has been mixed on the role of gender as a predictor of receiving scholarly awards, but much of it lacks control for research excellence, and awards in interdisciplinary associations have been neglected. This study fills these gaps for suicidology. Bibliometric data from the Web of Science was utilized for this study. To control for research excellence the analysis is restricted to the 116 most highly prolific researchers, each with 70 or more works published on suicide, from the Web of Science. The research awards in suicidology, given by three different interdisciplinary associations, include the Louis I. Dublin Award, the Morselli Medal, and the Stengel Research Award. The link between gender and receipt of a major award is adjusted for possible mediators including long-term research productivity (h-index), years of experience, and organizational prestige. While the percentage of women winning awards is less than that of men, we find that there is no significant difference between the genders. The quality of research and years of experience predict the receipt of each award. Based on a bibliometric analysis, women are not at a disadvantage in receiving research awards in suicidology. These results are consistent with recent research on gender and awards in economics, mathematics, and psychology.

Academics’ susceptibility to disruptions of their research productivity: empirical insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

Academics’ susceptibility to disruptions of their research productivity: empirical insights from the COVID-19 pandemic

Building Interdisciplinary Skills and Mentorship Opportunities in a 2-Week Research Experience

ABSTRACT A framework for a 2-wk summer research course is presented, with a mindset of discovery and self-advocacy that is interdisciplinary and inclusive. The foundations of the course are built upon 2 pillars: (a) a well-defined educational plan focused on cellular engineering, with a goal to instill an engineering mindset into the cell biology field; and (b) a tailored Dimensions of Mentoring policy, which uses a structured feedback system to define and strengthen mentor attributes and provide multiple opportunities for mentorship and mentorship training. Undergraduate and master’s student participants work with PhD students or postdoctoral/professor team leaders in small teams in discovery-based research projects. Multiple teams work in parallel during the 2-wk period and convene in course-wide meetings to share findings and give feedback. Working in small teams with multiple levels of peer and team lead mentoring, students experience advancement in research and technical skills. Participants also experience gains in their understanding of the overarching educational goals in cellular engineering and science communication skills through course-wide activities. The principles from the Dimensions of Mentoring were also effective, with mentors at different levels building strong inclusive teams, coaching practical skills, and promoting individual advocacy. Meeting basic needs, providing relatable role models, and prioritizing enjoyable team-building activities were found to be critical factors in providing inclusive and productive environments. Overall, participants report high satisfaction with a discovery-based interdisciplinary research experience because of a supported environment. This creation of a strong community benefits individual career development and contributes to sustainable research productivity.

Gender differences in the academic career: evidence from the accounting and finance departments

PurposeThe aim of this research is to examine gender differences in the context of research productivity, research collaboration and academic promotion.Design/methodology/approachThis research analyzes data related to 863 academics in the accounting and finance departments in Turkish universities by using OLS, Binary Logistic, Ordered Probit and Multinomial Probit Regressions.FindingsThe findings show that female academics have in overall a representation ratio of 32%, and that there are no significant differences regarding the opportunities for female academics to be employed in public compared to private, and in high-rank compared to low-rank universities. The results also indicate that female academics have lower research impact compared to male academics, and that this difference is more pronounced for professors, and in universities with low ratio of female representation, and also in public universities. In addition, female academics engage more in research collaboration and are less likely to hold the academic title of full professor than male academics.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide significant signals about the need for improving gender policies that mitigate the conditions adversely affecting research productivity and impact by considering the supporting circumstances for female academics and improving the representation ratio, which also can play vital role in reducing discrimination and bias and contribute to better research and scientific environment.Originality/valueTo the author’s knowledge, this article is the first to examine gender effect regarding research productivity, research collaboration and academic promotion in Turkish universities.

The determinants and impact of research grants: The case of Brazilian productivity scholarships

Research Productivity Grant (PQ) is a governmental research award maintained by CPNq, the Brazilian Council of Research, and designed as a funding program to support scientific studies in all fields of science. Using a compilation of data from the Lattes platform, we study the individual CVs of more than 133000 researchers between 2005 and 2022 to examine PQ's selection criteria and impact on research productivity over time. First, a machine learning model can accurately predict who receives the financial support. This suggests that some parts of the evaluation process can be automated based on Lattes. Moreover, the main factors that impact the likelihood of a researcher receiving an entry-level PQ are the number of supervisions and papers published. These factors are consistent across different fields of science. Additionally, we found a significant and positive impact from receiving the award in key academic research output. After receiving a CNPq productivity award, researchers tend to increase the number of citations of papers and publications.

Authorship pattern and Degree of collaboration in the field of Diabetes Research output in India: A Scientometric analysis

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in India and has been a major cause of concern for many years. It is important to measure the author productivity of diabetes research in India. This paper will explore the trends in author productivity related to diabetes research in India over the past few years. This study focused on analyzing Diabetic research published via Web of Science (2018-2020). The results show that a total of 9185 papers were published. The year 2017 had the greatest number of publications, with 745 total documents. The analysis reveals that Journal articles constituted 8577 (93.381%) of total documents of source, followed by Website 406 (4.420%), Books 151 (1.644%), and respectively. Among all authors, V Mohan has published 164 outputs from Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, followed by A Misra with 89 outputs in the field of diabetes research. The degree of collaboration is found to be 0.918 from 1938 to 2020 and found multiauthor dominating. The result of this study found that Indian authors contributed more articles on diabetes research and should be encouraged to contribute further works in this field.