Towards guaranteed data-integrity: A method of preventing Questionable Research Practices

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick Bierman ◽  
Jacob Jolij
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Data Integrity ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Major Aspect ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Integrity System ◽  
Secure Server

We have tested the feasibility of a method to prevent the occurrence of so-called Questionable Research Practices (QRP). A part from embedded pre-registration the major aspect of the system is real-time uploading of data on a secure server. We outline the method, discuss the drop-out treatment and compare it to the Born-open data method, and report on our preliminary experiences. We also discuss the extension of the data-integrity system from secure server to use of blockchain technology.

scholarly journals The Cost- Saving Role of Blockchain Technology As a Data Integrity Tool: E-health Scenario

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zarko Radjenovic
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Cost Saving ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Data Integrity ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Electronic Health

The digital economy of health and its global proliferation have led to the use of health information systems in the daily health services delivery to patients. Consequently, there is a development of web-based electronic healthcare aimed at providing electronic health services in real-time. In this way,  through the implementation of  the concept of electronic health, there is an exchange of health information among all stakeholders of the health organization, all with the aim of monitoring the health status of patients, timely intervention and adequate allocation of medical resources. Processing and sharing a large amount of health data in real time, with the constant need to maintain a high level of interoperability and scalability of network infrastructure, requires the highest possible level of security in accessing data, in order to reduce the misuse of health data. By using blockchain technology, the risk of misusing health information, asymmetry of information and the risk of increasing transaction costs are reduced in a very short time. Blockchain is a robust mathematical algorithm that can provide maximum security of the transaction using cryptographic methods. This type of technology is based on a distributed database that contains encrypted data that can not be changed or disturbed. For this reason, the application of this technology as a data integration tool is increasingly reflected in the electronic business of health organizations - electronic healthcare. Blockchain technology is especially used in information-intensive electronic healthcare records and medical applications, which ultimately results in reduced costs of providing health services, especially when it comes to system maintenance and security costs, interoperability and data redundancy. According to above-mentioned cost-saving role of blockchain technology in processing, sharing and analyzing healthcare data, in this paper, there will be more to say about the positive economic impact of blockchain technology on electronic healthcare, especially in the case of Estonia. This European country is a pioneer in creating, implementing and using the e-Health concept as an integral part of health information system through its healthcare system, in order to increase efficiency of healthcare services. Keywords: Blockchain technology, data integrity, e-Health, health economics

Dealing with imperfect elicitation results

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rens van de Schoot ◽  
Elian Griffioen ◽  
Sonja Désirée Winter
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Parameter ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Popular Method ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Present Information

The trial-and-roulette method is a popular method to extract experts’ beliefs about a statistical parameter. However, most studies examining the validity of this method only use ‘perfect’ elicitation results. In practice, it is sometimes hard to obtain such neat elicitation results. In our project about predicting fraud and questionable research practices among PhD candidates, we ran into issues with imperfect elicitation results. The goal of the current chapter is to provide an over-view of the solutions we used for dealing with these imperfect results, so that others can benefit from our experience. We present information about the nature of our project, the reasons for the imperfect results, and how we resolved these sup-ported by annotated R-syntax.

scholarly journals Dark Pathways to Achievement in Science: Researchers’ Achievement Goals Predict Engagement in Questionable Research Practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 783-791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Janke ◽  
Martin Daumiller ◽  
Selma Carolin Rudert
Keyword(s):  
Achievement Goals ◽  
Multiple Regression Model ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Scientific Rigor ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Personal Motivation ◽  
Approach Goals ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Negative Predictor

Questionable research practices (QRPs) are a strongly debated topic in the scientific community. Hypotheses about the relationship between individual differences and QRPs are plentiful but have rarely been empirically tested. Here, we investigate whether researchers’ personal motivation (expressed by achievement goals) is associated with self-reported engagement in QRPs within a sample of 217 psychology researchers. Appearance approach goals (striving for skill demonstration) positively predicted engagement in QRPs, while learning approach goals (striving for skill development) were a negative predictor. These effects remained stable when also considering Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy in a latent multiple regression model. Additional moderation analyses revealed that the more researchers favored publishing over scientific rigor, the stronger the association between appearance approach goals and engagement in QRPs. The findings deliver first insights into the nature of the relationship between personal motivation and scientific malpractice.

scholarly journals BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY AS AN ANTI-CORRUPTION MANAGEMENT TOOL

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (167) ◽  
pp. 46-50
Author(s):  
S. Burlutska ◽  
O. Chabanenko
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Private Institutions ◽  
Identity Verification ◽  
Transaction Data ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
The World ◽  
Money Transfers

The world has not yet come up with a single recipe for fighting corruption. But thanks to constant progress, anti-corruption strategies are replenished with effective innovation mechanisms. The global experience of using blockchain opens up new prospects for eliminating corruption in the world. Blockchain is an opportunity not only to modernize outdated functional systems, but also to apply new, more effective means of combating corruption and cybercrime. One of the main advantages of the blockchain is that all network participants have a register of transaction data. Therefore, if someone decides to hide, delete or change their recalculations in the accounting book, then copies of these transactions still remain in tens of thousands of other users and the system immediately accesses them. Therefore, a few minutes will be enough to solve the issues of detecting a crime. Today, it is worth highlighting 3 types of widespread use of blockchain technology in the fight against corruption: identity verification, asset registration and tracking of monetary transactions. For example, you can check the purpose of money transfers in real time, see salary payments, and compare prices among suppliers. Like any type of crime, corruption in human society cannot be completely excluded. However, decentralized platforms functioning on blockchain technology, already today, firstly, can directly bring together the customer and the executor, and secondly, all the conditions agreed upon by the participants can then be easily verified (thus, it will be impossible to imperceptibly inflate the price when using blockchain). Blockchain technology is in demand because it creates an unprecedented degree of trust in information in relationships between individuals and public organizations, or between the state, people and private institutions.

scholarly journals Excess success in “Don’t count calorie labeling out: Calorie counts on the left side of menu items lead to lower calorie food choices”

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Francis ◽  
Evelina Thunell
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Publication Bias ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Research Practices ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Questionable Research Practices ◽  
Calorie Labeling

Based on findings from six experiments, Dallas, Liu & Ubel (2019) concluded that placing calorie labels to the left of menu items influences consumers to choose lower calorie food options. Contrary to previously reported findings, they suggested that calorie labels do influence food choices, but only when placed to the left because they are in this case read first. If true, these findings have important implications for the design of menus and may help address the obesity pandemic. However, an analysis of the reported results indicates that they seem too good to be true. We show that if the effect sizes in Dallas et al. (2019) are representative of the populations, a replication of the six studies (with the same sample sizes) has a probability of only 0.014 of producing uniformly significant outcomes. Such a low success rate suggests that the original findings might be the result of questionable research practices or publication bias. We therefore caution readers and policy makers to be skeptical about the results and conclusions reported by Dallas et al. (2019).

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