Biomedical conferences’ author instructions rarely mention guidelines for reporting abstracts of trials and systematic reviews

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Lenko Saric ◽  
Svjetlana Dosenovic ◽  
Jakov Mihanovic ◽  
Livia Puljak
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Reporting Guidelines ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Meta Analyses

Aim: To analyze whether instructions for authors of biomedical conference abstracts mention guidelines for writing randomized controlled trial and systematic review abstracts and to evaluate reasons for their absence from instructions. Materials & methods: We analyzed instructions for authors of biomedical conferences advertized in 2019 and assessed whether they mentioned Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Abstracts and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials for Abstracts guidelines. We surveyed contact persons from abstract/publication committees of selected conferences to analyze why relevant guidelines were missing. Results: Instructions for abstracts were available for 819 conferences. Only two (0.2%) had reporting instructions for randomized controlled trial/systematic review authors. Almost half of the contacted conference organizers whose response we received were not aware of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Abstracts and Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials for Abstracts guidelines. Conclusion: Conference organizers do not require and are not familiar enough with reporting guidelines.

scholarly journals Improving peer review of systematic reviews by involving librarians and information specialists: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Rethlefsen ◽  
Sara Schroter ◽  
Lex Bouter ◽  
David Moher ◽  
Ana Patricia Ayala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Peer Reviewers

Background: Problems continue to exist with the reporting of and risk of bias in search methods and strategies in systematic reviews and related review types. Peer reviewers who are not familiar with what is required to transparently and fully report a search may not be prepared to review the search components of systematic reviews, nor may they know what is likely to introduce bias into a search. Librarians and information specialists, who have expertise in searching, may offer specialized knowledge that would help improve systematic review search reporting and lessen risk of bias, but they are underutilized as methodological peer reviewers.Methods: This study will evaluate the effect of adding librarians and information specialists as methodological peer reviewers on the quality of search reporting and risk of bias in systematic review searches. The study will be a pragmatic randomized controlled trial using 150 systematic review manuscripts submitted to BMJ and BMJ Open as the unit of randomization. Manuscripts that report on completed systematic reviews and related review types and have been sent for peer review are eligible. For each manuscript randomized to the intervention, a librarian/information specialist will be invited as an additional peer reviewer using standard practices for each journal. First revision manuscripts will be assessed in duplicate for reporting quality and risk of bias, using adherence to 4 items from PRISMA-S and assessors’ judgements on 4 signaling questions from ROBIS Domain 2, respectively. Identifying information from the manuscripts will be removed prior to assessment.Discussion: The primary outcomes for this study are quality of reporting as indicated by differences in the proportion of adequately reported searches in first revision manuscripts between intervention and control groups and risk of bias as indicated by differences in the proportions of first revision manuscripts with high, low, and unclear bias. If the intervention demonstrates an effect on search reporting or bias, this may indicate a need for journal editors to work with librarians and information specialists as methodological peer reviewers.Trial registration: This trial was registered on the Open Science Framework on June 17, 2021 at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/W4CK2.

scholarly journals Improving peer review of systematic reviews by involving librarians and information specialists: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa L. Rethlefsen ◽  
Sara Schroter ◽  
Lex M. Bouter ◽  
David Moher ◽  
Ana Patricia Ayala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Peer Review ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Peer Reviewers

Abstract Background Problems continue to exist with the reporting quality and risk of bias in search methods and strategies in systematic reviews and related review types. Peer reviewers who are not familiar with what is required to transparently and fully report a search may not be prepared to review the search components of systematic reviews, nor may they know what is likely to introduce bias into a search. Librarians and information specialists, who have expertise in searching, may offer specialized knowledge that would help improve systematic review search reporting and lessen risk of bias, but they are underutilized as methodological peer reviewers. Methods This study will evaluate the effect of adding librarians and information specialists as methodological peer reviewers on the quality of search reporting and risk of bias in systematic review searches. The study will be a pragmatic randomized controlled trial using 150 systematic review manuscripts submitted to BMJ and BMJ Open as the unit of randomization. Manuscripts that report on completed systematic reviews and related review types and have been sent for peer review are eligible. For each manuscript randomized to the intervention, a librarian/information specialist will be invited as an additional peer reviewer using standard practices for each journal. First revision manuscripts will be assessed in duplicate for reporting quality and risk of bias, using adherence to 4 items from PRISMA-S and assessors’ judgements on 4 signaling questions from ROBIS Domain 2, respectively. Identifying information from the manuscripts will be removed prior to assessment. Discussion The primary outcomes for this study are quality of reporting as indicated by differences in the proportion of adequately reported searches in first revision manuscripts between intervention and control groups and risk of bias as indicated by differences in the proportions of first revision manuscripts with high, low, and unclear bias. If the intervention demonstrates an effect on search reporting or bias, this may indicate a need for journal editors to work with librarians and information specialists as methodological peer reviewers. Trial registration Open Science Framework. Registered on June 17, 2021, at 10.17605/OSF.IO/W4CK2.

2013 SYR Accepted Poster Abstracts

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 32-53
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Stress Management ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Yoga Therapy ◽  
Randomized Controlled

SYR 2013 Accepted Poster abstracts: 1. Benefits of Yoga as a Wellness Practice in a Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care Setting: If You Build It, Will They Come? 2. Yoga-based Psychotherapy Group With Urban Youth Exposed to Trauma. 3. Embodied Health: The Effects of a Mind-Body Course for Medical Students. 4. Interoceptive Awareness and Vegetable Intake After a Yoga and Stress Management Intervention. 5. Yoga Reduces Performance Anxiety in Adolescent Musicians. 6. Designing and Implementing a Therapeutic Yoga Program for Older Women With Knee Osteoarthritis. 7. Yoga and Life Skills Eating Disorder Prevention Among 5th Grade Females: A Controlled Trial. 8. A Randomized, Controlled Trial Comparing the Impact of Yoga and Physical Education on the Emotional and Behavioral Functioning of Middle School Children. 9. Feasibility of a Multisite, Community based Randomized Study of Yoga and Wellness Education for Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy. 10. A Delphi Study for the Development of Protocol Guidelines for Yoga Interventions in Mental Health. 11. Impact Investigation of Breathwalk Daily Practice: Canada-India Collaborative Study. 12. Yoga Improves Distress, Fatigue, and Insomnia in Older Veteran Cancer Survivors: Results of a Pilot Study. 13. Assessment of Kundalini Mantra and Meditation as an Adjunctive Treatment With Mental Health Consumers. 14. Kundalini Yoga Therapy Versus Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Co-Occurring Mood Disorder. 15. Baseline Differences in Women Versus Men Initiating Yoga Programs to Aid Smoking Cessation: Quitting in Balance Versus QuitStrong. 16. Pranayam Practice: Impact on Focus and Everyday Life of Work and Relationships. 17. Participation in a Tailored Yoga Program is Associated With Improved Physical Health in Persons With Arthritis. 18. Effects of Yoga on Blood Pressure: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. 19. A Quasi-experimental Trial of a Yoga based Intervention to Reduce Stress and Promote Health and Well-being Among Middle School Educators. 20. A Systematic Review of Yoga-based Interventions for Objective and Subjective Balance Measures. 21. Disparities in Yoga Use: A Multivariate Analysis of 2007 National Health Interview Survey Data. 22. Implementing Yoga Therapy Adapted for Older Veterans Who Are Cancer Survivors. 23. Randomized, Controlled Trial of Yoga for Women With Major Depressive Disorder: Decreased Ruminations as Potential Mechanism for Effects on Depression? 24. Yoga Beyond the Metropolis: A Yoga Telehealth Program for Veterans. 25. Yoga Practice Frequency, Relationship Maintenance Behaviors, and the Potential Mediating Role of Relationally Interdependent Cognition. 26. Effects of Medical Yoga in Quality of Life, Blood Pressure, and Heart Rate in Patients With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation. 27. Yoga During School May Promote Emotion Regulation Capacity in Adolescents: A Group Randomized, Controlled Study. 28. Integrated Yoga Therapy in a Single Session as a Stress Management Technique in Comparison With Other Techniques. 29. Effects of a Classroom-based Yoga Intervention on Stress and Attention in Second and Third Grade Students. 30. Improving Memory, Attention, and Executive Function in Older Adults with Yoga Therapy. 31. Reasons for Starting and Continuing Yoga. 32. Yoga and Stress Management May Buffer Against Sexual Risk-Taking Behavior Increases in College Freshmen. 33. Whole-systems Ayurveda and Yoga Therapy for Obesity: Outcomes of a Pilot Study. 34. Women's Phenomenological Experiences of Exercise, Breathing, and the Body During Yoga for Smoking Cessation Treatment. 35. Mindfulness as a Tool for Trauma Recovery: Examination of a Gender-responsive Trauma-informed Integrative Mindfulness Program for Female Inmates. 36. Yoga After Stroke Leads to Multiple Physical Improvements. 37. Tele-Yoga in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Heart Failure: A Mixed-methods Study of Feasibility, Acceptability, and Safety. 38. Effects of an Ashtanga Yoga-based Health and Wellness Curriculum on Physical and Emotional Well-being, Engagement Toward School, and Academic Performance of K-6 Students. 39. Yoga as a Facilitator for Participation Following an 8-week Yoga for Individuals With Chronic Stroke. 40. Standardization of Design and Reporting of Yoga Interventions for Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Delphi Approach. 41. Creating S.P.A.C.E. Through Yoga: Africa Yoga Project Teachers Promote Personal Transformation, Peaceful Communities, and Purpose-filled Service.

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