PP424 Piloting A Comprehensive Search For eHealth Definitions In The Grey Literature: Preliminary Results From A Systematic Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (S1) ◽  
pp. 36-36
Author(s):  
Zsombor Zrubka ◽  
Anita Burrell ◽  
Menna N Sharkawy ◽  
Colin M Pfeiffer ◽  
Manthan D Janodia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Original Definition ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Google Search ◽  
Methodological Guidelines

IntroductionThe use of information technology within health systems has emerged over the years and the current pandemic has further catalyzed this development. As a result, various definitions of eHealth have emerged. Our objective was to provide an overview of definitions available on the internet to complement the traditional (“white”) literature search.MethodsWe adapted methodological guidelines from the Cochrane Handbook and management sciences to mirror the search in bibliographic databases. A comprehensive Google search was performed in July 2020 to retrieve uniform resource locators (URL's) of webpages containing terms for eHealth within four words of synonyms for the word “definition”. The DataScraper extension of the Google Chrome browser was used to collect all URL's. Webpages were eligible if they contained an original or adopted English-language definition of eHealth or contained a direct link to a definition or a document containing a definition. All document types were eligible. The analysis was performed 7 months after the data collection.ResultsOut of the 270 unique URL's, 37 (13.7%) were no longer accessible and 51 (18.9%) were links to academic publications (“white” literature). The language was not English for five webpages (1.9%) and 113 (41.9%) did not contain a definition of eHealth or other related terms. Other related terms were defined in 29 webpages (10.7%), among which “electronic health record” occurred most frequently (18/29, 62.1%). eHealth was defined in 35 (13.0%) webpages, out of which 45.7 percent (16/35) cited an existing source and 54.3 percent (19/35) provided an original definition.ConclusionsThe digital era raises both challenges and opportunities in conducting a grey literature search. We found that an augmented Google-based search can identify valuable references that traditional literature searches cannot detect. Term definitions (and their context) found in the grey versus bibliographic databases will be compared to assess their alignment with health economists perspectives.

scholarly journals What is a predatory journal? A scoping review

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly D. Cobey ◽  
Manoj M Lalu ◽  
Becky Skidmore ◽  
Nadera Ahmadzai ◽  
Agnes Grudniewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Predatory Journals ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Predatory Journal ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the characteristics of these journals been delineated or agreed upon. In order to study the phenomenon precisely a definition of predatory journals is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on predatory journals, describe its epidemiological characteristics, and to extract empirical descriptions of potential characteristics of predatory journals. Methods: We searched five bibliographic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase Classic + Embase, ERIC, and PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 2nd, 2018. A related grey literature search was conducted March 27th, 2018. Eligible studies were those published in English after 2012 that discuss predatory journals. Titles and abstracts of records obtained were screened. We extracted epidemiological characteristics from all search records discussing predatory journals. Subsequently, we extracted statements from the empirical studies describing empirically derived characteristics of predatory journals. These characteristics were then categorized and thematically grouped.   Results: 920 records were obtained from the search. 344 of these records met our inclusion criteria. The majority of these records took the form of commentaries, viewpoints, letters, or editorials (78.44%), and just 38 records were empirical studies that reported empirically derived characteristics of predatory journals. We extracted 109 unique characteristics from these 38 studies, which we subsequently thematically grouped into six categories: journal operations, article, editorial and peer review, communication, article processing charges, and dissemination, indexing and archiving, and five descriptors.    Conclusions: This work identified a corpus of potential characteristics of predatory journals. Limitations of the work include our restriction to English language articles, and the fact that the methodological quality of articles included in our extraction was not assessed. These results will be provided to attendees at a stakeholder meeting seeking to develop a standardized definition for what constitutes a predatory journal.

scholarly journals What is a predatory journal? A scoping review

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly D. Cobey ◽  
Manoj M Lalu ◽  
Becky Skidmore ◽  
Nadera Ahmadzai ◽  
Agnes Grudniewicz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Predatory Journals ◽  
Article Processing Charges ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Predatory Journal ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the characteristics of these journals been delineated or agreed upon. In order to study the phenomenon precisely a definition of predatory journals is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on predatory journals, describe its epidemiological characteristics, and to extract empirical descriptions of potential characteristics of predatory journals. Methods: We searched five bibliographic databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase Classic + Embase, ERIC, and PsycINFO, and Web of Science on January 2nd, 2018. A related grey literature search was conducted March 27th, 2018. Eligible studies were those published in English after 2012 that discuss predatory journals. Titles and abstracts of records obtained were screened. We extracted epidemiological characteristics from all search records discussing predatory journals. Subsequently, we extracted statements from the empirical studies describing empirically derived characteristics of predatory journals. These characteristics were then categorized and thematically grouped.   Results: 920 records were obtained from the search. 344 of these records met our inclusion criteria. The majority of these records took the form of commentaries, viewpoints, letters, or editorials (78.44%), and just 38 records were empirical studies that reported empirically derived characteristics of predatory journals. We extracted 109 unique characteristics from these 38 studies, which we subsequently thematically grouped into six categories: journal operations, article, editorial and peer review, communication, article processing charges, and dissemination, indexing and archiving, and five descriptors.    Conclusions: This work identified a corpus of potential characteristics of predatory journals. Limitations of the work include our restriction to English language articles, and the fact that the methodological quality of articles included in our extraction was not assessed. These results will be provided to attendees at a stakeholder meeting seeking to develop a standardized definition for what constitutes a predatory journal.

scholarly journals A Narrative Review on the Relationship between Female Reproductive Factors and Longevity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 885-886
Author(s):  
Christy Costanian ◽  
Raymond Farah ◽  
Sola Bahous ◽  
Abla Sibai
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Reproductive Factors ◽  
Premature Menopause ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Ovid Medline ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract This review presents findings on the role of female reproductive factors on longevity.A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted using four electronic databases: OVID Medline, Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar from inception until May 2020 and restricted to English language articles that tackle the relationship between reproductive factors and longevity in its various definitions. Our search yielded a total of 306 articles. After screening based on the eligibility criteria,37 articles were included for review. The majority of studies were prospective and conducted in Western populations. The most consistent findings were between parity and increased longevity. The role of ages at menarche and menopause, premature menopause, as well as reproductive lifespan on longevity were not conclusive. Whether gender of offspring is related to maternal longevity is yet to be fully elucidated.Variations in findings are in the majority due to differentials in the definition of longevity as an outcome. Further longitudinal studies based in developing countries are needed to examine reproductive factors related to longevity.

The Quantitative Study of Terrorist Events: Challenges and Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Grossman ◽  
Ami Pedahzur
Keyword(s):  
Data Science ◽  
English Language ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Event Data ◽  
Regional Study ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Global Terrorism

Since 2001, unprecedented resources have been invested in research into global terrorism, resulting in a dramatic rise in the number of academic publications on the topic. Works by scholars from predominantly quantitative disciplines predominate in this literature, and the unfolding development of data science and big data research has accentuated the trend. Many researchers in global terrorism created event databases, in which every row represents a distinct terrorist attack and every column a variable (e.g., the date and location of the attack, the number of casualties, etc.). Such event data are usually extracted from news sources and undergo a process of coding—the translation of unstructured text into numerical or categorical values. Some researchers collect and code their data manually; others use an automated script, or combine the efforts of humans and software. Other researchers who use event data do not collect and process their data at all; rather, they analyze other scholars’ databases. Academics and practitioners have relied on such databases for the cross-regional study of terrorism, analyzing their data statistically in an attempt to identify trends, build theories, predict future incidents, and formulate policies. Unfortunately, event data on terrorism often suffer from substantial issues of accuracy and reproducibility. A comparison between the data on suicide terrorism in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in two of the most prominent databases in the field and an independent database of confirmed events reveals the magnitude of these problems. Among the most common pitfalls for event data are replication problems (the sources that the databases cite, if there are any at all, cannot be retrieved), selection bias (events that should have been included in the database are not in it), description bias (the details of events in the database are incorrect), and coding problems (for example, duplicate events). Some of these problems originate in the press sources that are used to create the databases, usually English-language newspaper articles, and others are attributable to deficient data-gathering and/or coding practices on the part of database creators and coders. In many cases, these researchers do not understand the local contexts, languages, histories, and cultures of the regions they study. Further, many coders are not trained in qualitative methods and are thus incapable of critically reading and accurately coding their unstructured sources. Overcoming these challenges will require a change of attitude: truly accurate and impactful cross-regional data on terrorism can only be achieved through collaboration across projects, disciplines, and fields of expertise. The creators of event databases are encouraged to adopt the high standards of transparency, replicability, data-sharing, and version control that are prevalent in the STEM sciences and among software developers. More than anything, they need to acknowledge that without good and rigorous qualitative work during the stage of data collection, there can be no good quantitative work during the stage of data analysis.

THE EFFECT OF ENGLISH-LANGUAGE RESTRICTION ON SYSTEMATIC REVIEW-BASED META-ANALYSES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andra Morrison ◽  
Julie Polisena ◽  
Don Husereau ◽  
Kristen Moulton ◽  
Michelle Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Conventional Medicine ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Language Restriction ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

Objectives:The English language is generally perceived to be the universal language of science. However, the exclusive reliance on English-language studies may not represent all of the evidence. Excluding languages other than English (LOE) may introduce a language bias and lead to erroneous conclusions.Study Design and Setting:We conducted a comprehensive literature search using bibliographic databases and grey literature sources. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they measured the effect of excluding randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reported in LOE from systematic review-based meta-analyses (SR/MA) for one or more outcomes.Results:None of the included studies found major differences between summary treatment effects in English-language restricted meta-analyses and LOE-inclusive meta-analyses. Findings differed about the methodological and reporting quality of trials reported in LOE. The precision of pooled estimates improved with the inclusion of LOE trials.Conclusions:Overall, we found no evidence of a systematic bias from the use of language restrictions in systematic review-based meta-analyses in conventional medicine. Further research is needed to determine the impact of language restriction on systematic reviews in particular fields of medicine.

scholarly journals Essentially contested concepts as a tool in political studies: definition and criteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Maksym Yakovlyev
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
General Rule ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
Original Definition ◽  
Essentially Contested Concepts ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Definition Of

A notion of "essentially contested concepts", introduced by a prominent British philosopher W. B. Gallie in 1956, still remains practically unknown or at least not sufficiently well researched in the Ukrainian political science. In order for this notion to be applied as a tool in empirical studies either using data on political processes in Ukraine or studying external processes from a Ukrainian perspective, it has to be defined and discussed. This article provides an original definition of essentially contested concepts as it was introduced by Gallie, and his seven original criteria for defining a given concept an essentially contested are presented and commented. As a great master of his mother tongue – the English language – W. B. Gallie used a plethora of opportunities provided to him by the richness of his language to put forward and advocate for his idea of essential contestability of some concepts. Consequently, a number of criteria for defining essentially contested concepts possess some unique qualities that may be lost once translated into another language – which is also the case with Ukrainian translation. This article points to a number of such instances, of which Ukrainian scholars should be aware, namely: the original component "contested" provided for a whole stream of discussion regarding the "contestedness" of some concepts as a genuine quality of phenomena that will inevitably become objects of constant disputes and contestations. Secondly, the criteria of "appraisiveness" and "diverse describability" are not easily translated and need to be taken care of when applying them as practical characteristics of concepts under study. This article lists the original criteria for the essentially contested concepts: appraisive character of such concepts, their internal complexity, diverse describability, openness, recognition of their contested essence by the contending parties, existence of an exemplar that anchors conceptual meaning of such a concept, and progressive contestation by means of which a better coherence of concept’s usage can be achieved. Moreover this article also pays attention to a number of additional nuances articulated by Gallie that are of great importance when dealing with essentially contested concepts: the lack of any quantitative scheme or general rule for deciding on the best concept in any contestation regarding the correct use of such a concept and the fact that the uses of essentially contested concepts are discussed and debated "aggressively and defensively" by the contesting parties. Despite the fact that Gallie didn’t pay any attention to the linguistic side of concept’s studies, this article shows that a search for an original meaning of any concept can be misleading – or even illusory. Using two examples of contested concepts – "populism" in the works of two German scholars J.W. Müller and B. Stegemann and the “virus of dictatorship” by the Dutch social psychologist F. Schaper, this article demonstrates that the essence of such concepts can be contested based on the ideological stances taken by the contesting parties, as well as because of the choice of terms and methodologies embodied into the discussion of the correct uses of such concepts. Finally, this article calls for further enquiries into the studies of the nature of modern discourses in which different concepts are debated and contested.

scholarly journals Neoclassical geopolitics: Preliminary theoretical principles and methodological guidelines

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-157
Author(s):  
Nuno Morgado
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
International Relations ◽  
Practical Aspect ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Original Definition ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Methodological Guidelines ◽  
Grand Vision

The paper is aimed at making geopolitical studies and neoclassical geopolitics equivalent. In this sense, the objectives are conceptual and operational, comprising an original definition of geopolitical studies, and the explanation of the neoclassical geopolitics model and its variables: systemic stimuli, the geopolitical agent?s perceptions and capacities, and foreign policy outcomes (primarily the geopolitical design). Therefore, the problem at stake is to tie up several theoretical and methodological contributions into a solid new geopolitical model, in the limits of the phenomenological and soft positivist sphere. Two sections constituted the structure of this qualitative paper: 1) formulation of a chain of theoretical fundaments in geopolitical studies, and 2) description of a group of methodological steps that a geopolitical study can use. The research advances a) a new definition of geopolitical studies, b) explains the concept of geomisguidance, c) frames and unwraps Ratzel?s concept of Raumsinn, and d) ultimately systematises and assesses geopolitical studies? literature of different languages with respect to theory and methodology. All these findings were oriented to the practical aspect of the operationalisation of geopolitical studies, presenting the compact conclusion that the analysis of location is not enough for a grand vision of geopolitical studies as an international relations approach.

Prophylactic and Therapeutic Measures of Homeopathy in Epidemic and Pandemic Diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghulam Yaseen
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
English Language ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
World Health ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
The World ◽  
Google Search ◽  
Epidemic Diseases

Abstract Background The terms ‘Epidemic’ and ‘Pandemic’ refer to spread of infectious diseases in different countries, nations or regions. Infectious diseases have overrun millions of people in the past, as well as present where the world is facing current coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, which has killed more than 607,781 people till July 2020, according to the World Health Organisation. Homeopathy has played an important role in controlling epidemic and pandemic diseases since the time of Hahnemann who cured scarlet fever with Belladonna and served community with best treatment. This article reviews the role of homeopathy in the management and prevention of pandemic and epidemic diseases. Methods A homeopathic literature search was performed using several bibliographic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed and Google search engine was used for collection of all relevant information from reports, review articles, archived files and web pages etc., published in English language till July 2020. Results Gathered information based on scientific evidences manifested the efficacy of homeopathy using various approaches such as individualisation, Genus epidemicus and isopathy for prevention and treatment of epidemic diseases. Conclusion Homeopathy showcased its effectiveness in reduction of mortality and morbidity in epidemics for years. Moreover, prophylactic use of Genus epidemicus for symptomatic Covid-19 cases can be inexpensive, safe and more realistic.

scholarly journals Rising Through the Pandemic: A scoping review of quality improvement in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinjie Cindy Yin ◽  
Michelle Pang ◽  
Madelyn Law ◽  
Fiona Guerra ◽  
Tracey O'Sullivan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Google Search

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic generated a growing interest in and need for evidence-based tools to facilitate the implementation of emergency management strategies within public health practice. Quality improvement (QI) has been identified as a key framework and philosophy to guide organizational emergency response efforts; however, the nature and extent to which it has been used in public health settings during the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of literature published January 2020 - February 2021 and focused on the topic of QI at public health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The search was conducted on four bibliographic databases, in addition to a supplementary grey literature search using custom Google search engines and targeted website search methods. Of the 1,878 peer-reviewed articles assessed, 15 records met the inclusion criteria. An additional 11 relevant records were identified during the grey literature search, for a total of 26 records included in the scoping review. Results: Records were organized into five topics: 1) collaborative problem solving and analysis with stakeholders; 2) supporting learning and capacity building in QI; 3) learning from past emergencies; 4) implementing QI methods during COVID-19; and 5) evaluating performance using frameworks/indicators. Conclusions: The literature indicates that QI-oriented activities are occurring at the organizational and program levels to enhance COVID-19 response. To optimize the benefits that QI approaches and methodologies may offer, it is important for public health agencies to focus on both widespread integration of QI as part of an organization's management philosophy and culture, as well as project level activities at all stages of the emergency management cycle.

scholarly journals Systematic review of prehospital haemostatic dressings

2019 ◽  
Vol 166 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Welch ◽  
J Barratt ◽  
A Peters ◽  
C Wright
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Animal Studies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Military Forces ◽  
Language Studies

IntroductionHaemorrhage is one of the leading causes of battlefield and prehospital death. Haemostatic dressings are an effective method of limiting the extent of bleeding and are used by military forces extensively. A systematic review was conducted with the aim of collating the evidence on current haemostatic products and to assess whether one product was more effective than others.MethodsA systematic search and assessment of the literature was conducted using 13 health research databases including MEDLINE and CINAHL, and a grey literature search. Two assessors independently screened the studies for eligibility and quality. English language studies using current-generation haemostatic dressings were included. Surgical studies, studies that did not include survival, initial haemostasis or rebleeding and those investigating products without prehospital potential were excluded.Results232 studies were initially found and, after applying exclusion criteria, 42 were included in the review. These studies included 31 animal studies and 11 clinical studies. The outcomes assessed were subject survival, initial haemostasis and rebleeding. A number of products were shown to be effective in stopping haemorrhage, with Celox, QuikClot Combat Gauze and HemCon being the most commonly used, and with no demonstrable difference in effectiveness.ConclusionsThere was a lack of high-quality clinical evidence with the majority of studies being conducted using a swine haemorrhage model. Iterations of three haemostatic dressings, Celox, HemCon and QuikClot, dominated the studies, probably because of their use by international military forces and all were shown to be effective in the arrest of haemorrhage.

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