Guidance on research integrity provided by European discipline-specific learned societies: A scoping review

There is little research on how guidance provided in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (ALLEA code) compares with recommendations developed by European discipline-specific learned societies. We identified, and conducted a content analysis of, 58 guideline documents from 245 societies. Less than 25% of societies in any discipline provide guidance and there are notable disciplinary differences. Recommendations not reflected in the ALLEA code relate primarily to research culture and environment. Medical and Health Sciences societies often focus on regulatory and procedural aspects of research, whereas Natural Sciences societies emphasize the importance of accurate and appropriate dissemination of results. Humanities and Social Sciences societies’ recommendations are more heterogenous and relate to the nature of specific sub-disciplines. Our results reflect differences in epistemological approaches as well as the specific role and responsibilities of societies as membership organizations. We recommend that societies develop, or endorse, appropriate research integrity guidance.

Latin American professors’ research culture in the digital age

The processes of social confinement caused by the global health crisis (COVID-19), have forced professors to assume new research competencies that allow them to improve science indicators and contribute to the research culture in the digital era for the Latin American region. This article analyzes the research culture of Latin American professors in 20 countries in the digital era, and their relationship with the production of scientific papers indexed in the Journal Citation Report (JCR) between 1996 and 2019. A questionnaire (with validity and reliability criteria) with a Likert-type scale was applied to 2,215 professors selected from five international scientific events. The main results show that 78% of the professors have less than 15 years of teaching experience, with ages under 44 years of age and 38.9% of them with an undergraduate academic level, 62.5% of whom responded that they have never published in indexed journals, and that they do not know the proper application of paradigms and research designs. On the other hand, 23.86% of the total citations are self-citations. Therefore, the results reflect a significant relationship between the research culture of professors and Latin American scientific production. Finally, Latin American professors have found themselves in economic, political and social circumstances that affect good research and scientific publication practices, leaving a training gap in research competencies in the new digital era. Los procesos de confinamiento social provocados por la crisis de salud mundial (COVID-19), han obligado a los docentes a asumir nuevas competencias investigativas que le permitan mejorar los indicadores de ciencia y aportar a la cultura de investigación en la era digital para la región latinoamericana. Este artículo analiza la cultura investigativa de los docentes latinoamericanos de 20 países, en la era digital y su relación con la producción de documentos científicos indexados en Journal Citation Report (JCR) entre 1996 y 2019. Se aplicó un cuestionario (con criterios de validez y confiabilidad) con escala tipo Likert a 2.215 docentes derivados de cinco eventos científicos internacionales. Los principales resultados dan cuenta que el 78% de los docentes tienen menos de 15 años de experiencia docente con edades que no superan los 44 años y un nivel académico del 38,9% de pregrado. Estos, a su vez, en un 62,5% respondieron que nunca han publicado en revistas indexadas, además desconociendo la aplicación adecuada de los paradigmas y diseños de investigación. Por otra parte, el 23,86% de las citaciones totales son auto citas. Por tanto, los resultados reflejan una relación significativa entre la cultura investigativa del docente y la producción científica latinoamericana. Finalmente, los docentes latinoamericanos se han visto en circunstancias económicas, políticas y sociales que afectan las buenas prácticas de investigación y publicación científica dejando entre ver una brecha de formación sobre competencias investigativas en la nueva era digital.

Lost in Translation

The chapter examines the role of practice-related research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It will extend existing debates regarding the academic rigour of such methodologies as arts-based research and consider their impact on future research culture, using Zen arts as an example of a subject of study within such a methodological framing. It also discusses complimentary methods used by Zen arts researchers such as ethnography to examine why qualitative techniques are not only useful but imperative in the study of such fields. While practice is the key to Zen arts research, neither of the practice-related method types, practice-led or practice-based, currently defined describes how such practice or the writing function in PhD investigations, where together such components are the subject of investigation as well as the method of research and presentation. The chapter thus suggests an additional category of PRR, “practice-reflexive,” when describing such research whose focus is on the distinction of (or the lack thereof) the written exegesis and the notional artefact.

Fostering Interdisciplinary Research Culture, Challenges and Way Forward: The Universiti Malaya Experience

Interdisciplinary research (IDR) exploring beyond the purview of a single discipline is critical for providing the requisite solutions to real-world issues. Furthermore, the process of translating research that could have a positive impact on and benefit the government, industry and society, typically requires a multipronged approach with inputs and solutions integrated from various disciplines. Therefore, IDR is vital in pushing the different disciplines forward and accelerating scientific discovery in innovative ways. Nonetheless, the move towards encouraging researchers to break away from working in silos to working together has been an extremely challenging task. Doubtlessly, interdisciplinary programmes demand much more involvement and exhaustive effort from researchers per se as they require not only academic scholarship but also soft skills to communicate, network and engage with other researchers from diversified disciplines, various stakeholders and beneficiaries. In addition to that, good leadership and all-rounded teamwork support are required in navigating and ensuring the success of the research programme to deliver its intended outcome and impact. In light of this, this opinion paper discusses some of the challenges confronted in fostering IDR at the Universiti Malaya and suggestions on approaches that could be adopted to garner the interest and move it forward.

DISSERTATION WRITING: AN ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS BARRIERS TO ITS SUCCESS IN PROMOTING RESEARCH CULTURE IN PAKISTAN

Objective: To identify evidence of success or otherwise of measures like dissertation to promote high quality medical research in the students undergoing postgraduate specialty training despite of many efforts, the quality of medical research in the country remains in turmoil and unrest prevails in the medical community as well. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. Place and Duration of Study: Combined Military Hospital Lahore Pakistan, from Jan 2017 to Dec 2018. Methodology: This study was conducted by using Google forms, interviewing the college’s affiliates, which include supervisors, fresh graduates and current trainees using a structured questionnaire, to get an idea of the participants’ view regarding magnitude of the problem, its causes and possible solution. Results: A total of 94 participants responded to the online questionnaire. Among these, 34 (36%) fell in the age group 29-34 years, followed by 19 (20.2%) in the age group 35-40 years. Among the participants, 56 (59.6%) were females. Sixty-six (74%) participants agreed that dissertation writing was not an effective tool in promoting research culture in the country. Conclusion: The current system of Dissertation-writing is not efficient in promoting research skills of the postgraduate trainees and systemic improvements are urgently needed, which would also brighten the image of medical education in the country.

Investigating the replicability of preclinical cancer biology

Replicability is an important feature of scientific research, but aspects of contemporary research culture, such as an emphasis on novelty, can make replicability seem less important than it should be. The Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology was set up to provide evidence about the replicability of preclinical research in cancer biology by repeating selected experiments from high-impact papers. A total of 50 experiments from 23 papers were repeated, generating data about the replicability of a total of 158 effects. Most of the original effects were positive effects (136), with the rest being null effects (22). A majority of the original effect sizes were reported as numerical values (117), with the rest being reported as representative images (41). We employed seven methods to assess replicability, and some of these methods were not suitable for all the effects in our sample. One method compared effect sizes: for positive effects, the median effect size in the replications was 85% smaller than the median effect size in the original experiments, and 92% of replication effect sizes were smaller than the original. The other methods were binary – the replication was either a success or a failure – and five of these methods could be used to assess both positive and null effects when effect sizes were reported as numerical values. For positive effects, 40% of replications (39/97) succeeded according to three or more of these five methods, and for null effects 80% of replications (12/15) were successful on this basis; combining positive and null effects, the success rate was 46% (51/112). A successful replication does not definitively confirm an original finding or its theoretical interpretation. Equally, a failure to replicate does not disconfirm a finding, but it does suggest that additional investigation is needed to establish its reliability.

Methods of research work in the youth environment

The textbook examines the components of the research culture of the youth environment, the information environment of research and methods of system analysis of the youth environment. Research methods and calculations of economic efficiency from the introduction of new social technologies, types of researchers and their professional parameters are given. Special attention is paid to the technology of extracting knowledge from the object of research, as well as types of knowledge, problems and thinking. Examples of specific application of research methods are given. The disadvantages that hinder the development of research potential are considered. Aspects of the presentation of the research results are considered. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. It is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as graduate students, teachers, and professional researchers. It can be useful for those who are engaged in research in the socio-political and social spheres, the field of personnel management, in particular, the study of the youth environment.