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Verret M, Le JBP, Lalu MM, Jeffers MS, McIsaac DI, Nicholls SG, Turgeon AF, Ramchandani R, Li H, Hutton B, Zivkovic F, Graham M, Lê M, Geist A, Bérubé M, O'Hearn K, Gilron I, Poulin P, Daudt H, Martel G, McVicar J, Moloo H, Fergusson DA. Effectiveness of dexmedetomidine on patient-centred outcomes in surgical patients: a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis. Br J Anaesth 2024; 133:615-627. [PMID: 39019769 PMCID: PMC11347795 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dexmedetomidine is increasingly used for surgical patients requiring general anaesthesia. However, its effectiveness on patient-centred outcomes remains uncertain. Our main objective was to evaluate the patient-centred effectiveness of intraoperative dexmedetomidine for adult patients requiring surgery under general anaesthesia. METHODS We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and CINAHL from inception to October 2023. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine with placebo, opioid, or usual care in adult patients requiring surgery under general anaesthesia were included. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed by two reviewers independently. We synthesised data using a random-effects Bayesian regression framework to derive effect estimates and the probability of a clinically important effect. For continuous outcomes, we pooled instruments with similar constructs using standardised mean differences (SMDs) and converted SMDs and credible intervals (CrIs) to their original scale when appropriate. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. Our primary outcome was quality of recovery after surgery. To guide interpretation on the original scale, the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) instrument was used (range 0-150 points, minimally important difference [MID] of 6 points). RESULTS We identified 49,069 citations, from which 44 RCTs involving 5904 participants were eligible. Intraoperative dexmedetomidine administration was associated with improvement in postoperative QoR-15 (mean difference 9, 95% CrI 4-14, n=21 RCTs, moderate certainty of evidence). We found 99% probability of any benefit and 88% probability of achieving the MID. There was a reduction in chronic pain incidence (odds ratio [OR] 0.42, 95% CrI 0.19-0.79, n=7 RCTs, low certainty of evidence). There was also increased risk of clinically significant hypotension (OR 1.98, 95% CrI 0.84-3.92, posterior probability of harm 94%, n=8 RCTs) and clinically significant bradycardia (OR 1.74, 95% CrI 0.93-3.34, posterior probability of harm 95%, n=10 RCTs), with very low certainty of evidence for both. There was limited evidence to inform other secondary patient-centred outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Compared with placebo or standard of care, intraoperative dexmedetomidine likely results in meaningful improvement in the quality of recovery and chronic pain after surgery. However, it might increase clinically important bradycardia and hypotension. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL PROSPERO (CRD42023439896).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Verret
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, QC, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Quebec Pain Research Network, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
| | - John B P Le
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Manoj M Lalu
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew S Jeffers
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel I McIsaac
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Stuart G Nicholls
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Ottawa Methods Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alexis F Turgeon
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, QC, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Rashi Ramchandani
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hongda Li
- MDCM, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brian Hutton
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Fiona Zivkovic
- Patient Partner, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ONT, Canada
| | - Megan Graham
- Patient Partner, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ONT, Canada
| | - Maxime Lê
- Patient Partner, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ONT, Canada
| | - Allison Geist
- Patient Partner, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ONT, Canada
| | - Mélanie Bérubé
- Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit (Trauma - Emergency - Critical Care Medicine), CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, QC, Canada; Quebec Pain Research Network, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Katie O'Hearn
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ian Gilron
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ONT, Canada
| | - Patricia Poulin
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital Pain Clinic, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Guillaume Martel
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jason McVicar
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops, BC, Canada
| | - Husein Moloo
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dean A Fergusson
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Justin GA, Huang C, Nguyen MK, Lee J, Seddon I, Wesley TA, Bakri SJ, Peter Campbell J, Cavuoto K, Collins M, Gedde SJ, Kossler AL, Milman T, Shukla A, Sridhar J, Syed ZA, Williams JBK, Woreta FA, Patel SN, Yonekawa Y. An Analysis of Solicitations From Predatory Journals in Ophthalmology. Am J Ophthalmol 2024; 264:216-223. [PMID: 38490339 PMCID: PMC11257792 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2024.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate trends associated with email communication from potentially predatory publishers to faculty in ophthalmology. DESIGN Cross-sectional study METHODS: Ophthalmologists (n = 14) from various subspecialties and institutions were recruited to participate. Participants identified unsolicited emails that they had received originating from publishers in May 2021. Information collected included details on email contents and publisher organizations. Trends in communications from predatory publishers were evaluated. RESULTS Over a 30-day study period, a total of 1813 emails were received from 383 unique publishers and 696 unique journals, with a mean (SD) of 4.73 (2.46) emails received per day per participant. Of the 1813 emails identified, 242 (13%) emails were invitations to conferences, whereas 1440 (80%) were solicitations for article submissions to open-access, pay-to-publish journals. A total of 522 (29.0%) emails were related to ophthalmology, and reference to a prior publication of the participant occurred in 262 emails (14%). Of the 696 unique journals identified, 174 (25%) journals were indexed on PubMed and 426 (61%) were listed on Beall's list. When comparing journals that were listed on PubMed vs those that were not, PubMed indexed journals had a higher impact factor (2.1 vs 1.5, P = .002), were less likely to use "greetings" (76% vs 91%, P < .001), had fewer spelling/grammar errors (40% vs 51%, P = .01), and were less likely to offer rapid publication (16% vs 25%, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS Unsolicited requests to publish occur frequently and may diminish the quality of the scientific literature. We encourage individuals in ophthalmology to be aware of these trends in predatory publishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant A Justin
- From the Duke Eye Center (G.A.J.), Duke University Health System, Durham, North Carolina, USA; Department of Surgery (G.A.J.), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles Huang
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College (C.H., M.K.N., J.L.), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Wills Eye Hospital (C.H., M.K.N., J.L., S.N.P., Y.Y.), Mid Atlantic Retina, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael K Nguyen
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College (C.H., M.K.N., J.L.), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Wills Eye Hospital (C.H., M.K.N., J.L., S.N.P., Y.Y.), Mid Atlantic Retina, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica Lee
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College (C.H., M.K.N., J.L.), Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Wills Eye Hospital (C.H., M.K.N., J.L., S.N.P., Y.Y.), Mid Atlantic Retina, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ian Seddon
- Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (I.S.), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Treven A Wesley
- SUNY Downstate College of Medicine (T.A.W.), Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Sophie J Bakri
- Department of Ophthalmology (S.J.B.), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - J Peter Campbell
- Department of Ophthalmology (J.P.C.), Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kara Cavuoto
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (K.C., S.J.G., J.S., B.K.W.), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Megan Collins
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.C., F.A.W.), Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Steven J Gedde
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (K.C., S.J.G., J.S., B.K.W.), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Andrea L Kossler
- Byers Eye Institute (A.L.K.), School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Tatyana Milman
- Department of Pathology (T.M.), Wills Eye Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Aakriti Shukla
- Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute (A.S.), Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jayanth Sridhar
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (K.C., S.J.G., J.S., B.K.W.), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Zeba A Syed
- Cornea Service (Z.A.S.), Wills Eye Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jr Basil K Williams
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (K.C., S.J.G., J.S., B.K.W.), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Fasika A Woreta
- Department of Ophthalmology (M.C., F.A.W.), Wilmer Eye Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Samir N Patel
- Wills Eye Hospital (C.H., M.K.N., J.L., S.N.P., Y.Y.), Mid Atlantic Retina, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Retina Vitreous Consultants (S.N.P.), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Yonekawa
- Wills Eye Hospital (C.H., M.K.N., J.L., S.N.P., Y.Y.), Mid Atlantic Retina, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Candal-Pedreira C, Guerra-Tort C, Ruano-Ravina A, Freijedo-Farinas F, Rey-Brandariz J, Ross JS, Pérez-Ríos M. Retracted papers originating from paper mills: a cross-sectional analysis of references and citations. J Clin Epidemiol 2024; 172:111397. [PMID: 38815634 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2024.111397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aims of this study are (1) to analyze the references cited by retracted papers originated from paper mills; (2) to analyze the citations received by retracted papers originated from paper mills; and (3) to analyze the potential relationships existing between paper mill papers and their references and their citations. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING This study was a cross-sectional study. All original papers retracted in 2022 identified as having originated from paper mills and had been published at least 12 months before their retraction (hereinafter "source-retracted papers") were included. The Retraction Watch database was used to identify the source-retracted papers and Web of Science was used to identify the references contained within them and the citations received by them. We described the characteristics of the papers and journals. Additionally, 2 networks of source-retracted papers mutually interconnected via their citations and references were built: 1 with only retracted references and retracted citations and the other with all references and citations (retracted or unretracted). RESULTS A total of 416 paper mill papers retracted in 2022 (sourced retracted papers) were identified, with a median of 1247 (interquartilic range, 907.8-1673.5) days between publication and retraction. Of all authors identified, 92.3% were affiliated with Chinese institutions. There were 14,411 references contained in the source-retracted papers and 8479 citations received by them; the median number of references and citations was 35 (29-40) and 16 (9-25), respectively. In total, 473 references and citations had also been retracted for being paper mill papers. Among the 416 sourced-retracted papers, 169 (41.9%) and 178 (42.8%) were referenced or were cited by at least another retracted paper, the majority of which also originated from paper mills. The first network analysis, which included source-retracted papers along with their retracted references and citations, found 3 clusters of 53, 48, and 44 retracted papers that were mutually interconnected. The second network analysis, with all references and citations (retracted or unretracted) identified a large cluster of 2530 interconnected papers. CONCLUSION Retracted papers originating from paper mills frequently reference and are cited by papers that are later retracted for having originated from paper mills, displaying inter-relationships. Detecting these inter-relationships can serve as an indicator for identifying potentially fraudulent publications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Candal-Pedreira
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela-IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carla Guerra-Tort
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Alberto Ruano-Ravina
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela-IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Fabián Freijedo-Farinas
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Julia Rey-Brandariz
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joseph S Ross
- Section of General Internal Medicine and National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT USA; Department of Health Policy and Management, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA; Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mónica Pérez-Ríos
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela-IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain; Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Carobene A, Padoan A, Cabitza F, Banfi G, Plebani M. Rising adoption of artificial intelligence in scientific publishing: evaluating the role, risks, and ethical implications in paper drafting and review process. Clin Chem Lab Med 2024; 62:835-843. [PMID: 38019961 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2023-1136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the rapid evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), scientific publishing is experiencing significant transformations. AI tools, while offering unparalleled efficiencies in paper drafting and peer review, also introduce notable ethical concerns. CONTENT This study delineates AI's dual role in scientific publishing: as a co-creator in the writing and review of scientific papers and as an ethical challenge. We first explore the potential of AI as an enhancer of efficiency, efficacy, and quality in creating scientific papers. A critical assessment follows, evaluating the risks vs. rewards for researchers, especially those early in their careers, emphasizing the need to maintain a balance between AI's capabilities and fostering independent reasoning and creativity. Subsequently, we delve into the ethical dilemmas of AI's involvement, particularly concerning originality, plagiarism, and preserving the genuine essence of scientific discourse. The evolving dynamics further highlight an overlooked aspect: the inadequate recognition of human reviewers in the academic community. With the increasing volume of scientific literature, tangible metrics and incentives for reviewers are proposed as essential to ensure a balanced academic environment. SUMMARY AI's incorporation in scientific publishing is promising yet comes with significant ethical and operational challenges. The role of human reviewers is accentuated, ensuring authenticity in an AI-influenced environment. OUTLOOK As the scientific community treads the path of AI integration, a balanced symbiosis between AI's efficiency and human discernment is pivotal. Emphasizing human expertise, while exploit artificial intelligence responsibly, will determine the trajectory of an ethically sound and efficient AI-augmented future in scientific publishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Carobene
- Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Padoan
- Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Laboratory Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Federico Cabitza
- DISCo, Università Degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Banfi
- IRCCS Ospedale Galeazzi - Sant'Ambrogio, Milan, Italy
- University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Plebani
- Laboratory Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
- University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Kolbinger FR, Veldhuizen GP, Zhu J, Truhn D, Kather JN. Reporting guidelines in medical artificial intelligence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:71. [PMID: 38605106 PMCID: PMC11009315 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00492-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds transformative potential in medicine. However, the lack of universal reporting guidelines poses challenges in ensuring the validity and reproducibility of published research studies in this field. METHODS Based on a systematic review of academic publications and reporting standards demanded by both international consortia and regulatory stakeholders as well as leading journals in the fields of medicine and medical informatics, 26 reporting guidelines published between 2009 and 2023 were included in this analysis. Guidelines were stratified by breadth (general or specific to medical fields), underlying consensus quality, and target research phase (preclinical, translational, clinical) and subsequently analyzed regarding the overlap and variations in guideline items. RESULTS AI reporting guidelines for medical research vary with respect to the quality of the underlying consensus process, breadth, and target research phase. Some guideline items such as reporting of study design and model performance recur across guidelines, whereas other items are specific to particular fields and research stages. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis highlights the importance of reporting guidelines in clinical AI research and underscores the need for common standards that address the identified variations and gaps in current guidelines. Overall, this comprehensive overview could help researchers and public stakeholders reinforce quality standards for increased reliability, reproducibility, clinical validity, and public trust in AI research in healthcare. This could facilitate the safe, effective, and ethical translation of AI methods into clinical applications that will ultimately improve patient outcomes.
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Grants
- UM1 TR004402 NCATS NIH HHS
- JNK is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Health (DEEP LIVER, ZMVI1-2520DAT111) and the Max-Eder-Programme of the German Cancer Aid (grant #70113864), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (PEARL, 01KD2104C; CAMINO, 01EO2101; SWAG, 01KD2215A; TRANSFORM LIVER, 031L0312A), the German Academic Exchange Service (SECAI, 57616814), the German Federal Joint Committee (Transplant.KI, 01VSF21048) the European Union (ODELIA, 101057091; GENIAL, 101096312) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR, NIHR213331) Leeds Biomedical Research Centre.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona R Kolbinger
- Else Kroener Fresenius Center for Digital Health, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Gregory P Veldhuizen
- Else Kroener Fresenius Center for Digital Health, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jiefu Zhu
- Else Kroener Fresenius Center for Digital Health, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Truhn
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jakob Nikolas Kather
- Else Kroener Fresenius Center for Digital Health, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
- Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Al-Moghrabi D, Abu Arqub S, Maroulakos MP, Pandis N, Fleming PS. Can ChatGPT identify predatory biomedical and dental journals? A cross-sectional content analysis. J Dent 2024; 142:104840. [PMID: 38219888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2024.104840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess whether ChatGPT can help to identify predatory biomedical and dental journals, analyze the content of its responses and compare the frequency of positive and negative indicators provided by ChatGPT concerning predatory and legitimate journals. METHODS Four-hundred predatory and legitimate biomedical and dental journals were selected from four sources: Beall's list, unsolicited emails, the Web of Science (WOS) journal list and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). ChatGPT was asked to determine journal legitimacy. Journals were classified into legitimate or predatory. Pearson's Chi-squared test and logistic regression were conducted. Two machine learning algorithms determined the most influential criteria on the correct classification of journals. RESULTS The data were categorized under 10 criteria with the most frequently coded criteria being the transparency of processes and policies. ChatGPT correctly classified predatory and legitimate journals in 92.5 % and 71 % of the sample, respectively. The accuracy of ChatGPT responses was 0.82. ChatGPT also demonstrated a high level of sensitivity (0.93). Additionally, the model exhibited a specificity of 0.71, accurately identifying true negatives. A highly significant association between ChatGPT verdicts and the classification based on known sources was observed (P <0.001). ChatGPT was 30.2 times more likely to correctly classify a predatory journal (95 % confidence interval: 16.9-57.43, p-value: <0.001). CONCLUSIONS ChatGPT can accurately distinguish predatory and legitimate journals with a high level of accuracy. While some false positive (29 %) and false negative (7.5 %) results were observed, it may be reasonable to harness ChatGPT to assist with the identification of predatory journals. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT ChatGPT may effectively distinguish between predatory and legitimate journals, with accuracy rates of 92.5 % and 71 %, respectively. The potential utility of large-scale language models in exposing predatory publications is worthy of further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalya Al-Moghrabi
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box: 84428 Airport Road, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Sarah Abu Arqub
- Department of Orthodontics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Michael P Maroulakos
- Division of Public and Child Dental Health, Dublin Dental School and Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nikolaos Pandis
- Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, Medical Faculty, Dental School, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Padhraig S Fleming
- Division of Public and Child Dental Health, Dublin Dental School and Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
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Memon AR, Owen PJ, Anderson N, Verhagen E, Mundell NL, Belavy DL. Common issues of systematic reviews in the sports and exercise medicine field. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2024; 10:e001784. [PMID: 38268524 PMCID: PMC10806533 DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aamir Raoof Memon
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patrick J Owen
- Eastern Health Emergency Medicine Program, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nash Anderson
- Tuggeranong Chiropractic Centre, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Evert Verhagen
- Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO, Amsterdam UMC Locatie VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Niamh L Mundell
- Deakin University, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel L Belavy
- Department of Applied Health Sciences, Hochschule für Gesundheit Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Tomlinson OW. Predatory publishing in medical education: a rapid scoping review. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:33. [PMID: 38183007 PMCID: PMC10770935 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Academic publishing is a cornerstone of scholarly communications, yet is unfortunately open to abuse, having given rise to 'predatory publishers'- groups that employ aggressive marketing tactics, are deficient in methods and ethics, and bypass peer review. Preventing these predatory publishers from infiltrating scholarly activity is of high importance, and students must be trained in this area to increase awareness and reduce use. The scope of this issue in the context of medical students remains unknown, and therefore this sought to examine the breadth of the current literature base. METHODS A rapid scoping review was undertaken, adhering to adapted PRISMA guidelines. Six databases (ASSIA, EBSCO, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) were systematically searched for content related to predatory publishing and medical students. Results were single-screened, facilitated by online reviewing software. Resultant data were narratively described, with common themes identified. RESULTS After searching and screening, five studies were included, representing a total of 1338 students. Two predominant themes- understanding, and utilisation- of predatory publishers was identified. These themes revealed that medical students were broadly unaware of the issue of predatory publishing, and that a small number have already, or would consider, using their services. CONCLUSION There remains a lack of understanding of the threat that predatory publishers pose amongst medical students. Future research and education in this domain will be required to focus on informing medical students on the issue, and the implication of engaging with predatory publishers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen W Tomlinson
- Department of Clinical and Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health and Life Science, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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Tomlinson OW. Getting Your First Publication in Medical Education-Why? What? Where? How? JOURNAL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION AND CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT 2024; 11:23821205241242217. [PMID: 38572089 PMCID: PMC10989030 DOI: 10.1177/23821205241242217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
The process of getting one's work published is a major milestone for many in their early academic and clinical careers. However, this process can be confusing and overwhelming for many who have yet to publish themselves. There are differing motivators for publishing work in our early career stages, alongside considerations, such as what we publish, where we decide to submit work, and how we logistically undertake the submission process. This commentary provides a holistic overview for the early career medical educator, empowering them to take the bold steps toward "getting published."
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen W. Tomlinson
- University of Exeter Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Oermann MH, Waldrop J, Nicoll LH, Peterson GM, Drabish KS, Carter-Templeton H, Owens JK, Moorman T, Webb B, Wrigley J. Research on Predatory Publishing in Health Care: A Scoping Review. Can J Nurs Res 2023; 55:415-424. [PMID: 37138512 DOI: 10.1177/08445621231172621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predatory publishers and their associated journals have been identified as a threat to the integrity of the scientific literature. Research on the phenomenon of predatory publishing in health care remains unquantified. PURPOSE To identify the characteristics of empirical studies on predatory publishing in the health care literature. METHODS A scoping review was done using PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. A total of 4967 articles were initially screened; 77 articles reporting empirical findings were ultimately reviewed. RESULTS The 77 articles were predominantly bibliometric analyses/document analyses (n = 56). The majority were in medicine (n = 31, 40%) or were multidisciplinary (n = 26, 34%); 11 studies were in nursing. Most studies reported that articles published in predatory journals were of lower quality than those published in more reputable journals. In nursing, the research confirmed that articles in predatory journals were being cited in legitimate nursing journals, thereby spreading information that may not be credible through the literature. CONCLUSION The purposes of the evaluated studies were similar: to understand the characteristics and extent of the problem of predatory publishing. Although literature about predatory publishing is abundant, empirical studies in health care are limited. The findings suggest that individual vigilance alone will not be enough to address this problem in the scholarly literature. Institutional policy and technical protections are also necessary to mitigate erosion of the scientific literature in health care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gabriel M Peterson
- School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Jacqueline K Owens
- Dwight Schar College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
| | - Teresa Moorman
- Dwight Schar College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA
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Talari K, Ravindran V. Predatory journals: How to recognise and keep clear! J R Coll Physicians Edinb 2023; 53:232-236. [PMID: 37997747 DOI: 10.1177/14782715231215525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinod Ravindran
- Centre for Rheumatology, Kozhikode, Kerala, India
- Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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Marar S, Hamza MA, Ayyash M, Abu-Shaheen A. Development and validation of an instrument to assess the knowledge and perceptions of predatory journals. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22270. [PMID: 38045152 PMCID: PMC10692890 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The main aim of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess levels of knowledge and perceptions of predatory journals. Methods The current study employed successive methods framework including (1) item generation through a literature review and theoretical framework development, (2) validity testing in terms of face, content, and construct validity for perceptions construct as well as item analysis for knowledge scale, and (3) reliability testing in terms of Cronbach's alpha, Kuder-Richardson (KR-20), item-to-total correlations, corrected item-to-total correlations, Cronbach's alpha if item deleted, and test-retest reliability. A total of 304 participants were recruited from King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to evaluate its construct validity and reliability. This was established using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with principal axis factoring (PFA) and varimax rotation as well as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for perception construct. Results An instrument was developed from this study called the "Predatory Journals KP Assessment Questionnaire". The results of EFA and CFA confirmed the construct validity of the perception construct. Item analysis confirmed the construct validity of the knowledge scale. The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were achieved for the knowledge scale items, consisting of 13 items. The results of EFA confirmed the measured constructs of perceptions toward predatory journals. The results of EFA and CFA for perception construct resulted in only one factor with 9 items. Conclusion This study has successfully developed a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure knowledge and perceptions of predatory journals among researchers in the clinical and health disciplines. This instrument serves as a valuable guide for future studies that aim to assess researcher's knowledge and perceptions about predatory journals and examine the differences in these measured constructs according to their demographic and professional characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumayyia Marar
- Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, USA
| | - Muaawia A. Hamza
- Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, USA
| | - Mohsen Ayyash
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Pinang, Malaysia
- Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, Birzeit University, Ramallah, Palestine
| | - Amani Abu-Shaheen
- Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Central Second Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, USA
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Willis JV, Cobey KD, Ramos J, Chow R, Ng JY, Alayche M, Moher D. Limited online training opportunities exist for scholarly peer reviewers. J Clin Epidemiol 2023; 161:65-73. [PMID: 37421994 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To create a comprehensive list of all openly available online trainings in scholarly peer review and to analyze their characteristics. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING A systematic review of online training material in scholarly peer review openly accessible between 2012 and 2022. Training characteristics were presented in evidence tables and summarized narratively. A risk of bias tool was purpose-built for this study to evaluate the included training material as evidence-based. RESULTS Fourty-two training opportunities in manuscript peer review were identified, of which only twenty were openly accessible. Most were online modules (n = 12, 60%) with an estimated completion time of less than 1 hour (n = 13, 65%). Using our ad hoc risk of bias tool, four sources (20%) met our criteria of evidence-based. CONCLUSION Our comprehensive search of the literature identified 20 openly accessible online training materials in manuscript peer review. For such a crucial step in the dissemination of literature, a lack of training could potentially explain disparities in the quality of scholarly publishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie V Willis
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Kelly D Cobey
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada; School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Janina Ramos
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Ryan Chow
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Jeremy Y Ng
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mohsen Alayche
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - David Moher
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
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Livas C, Delli K. "Dear Doctor, greetings of the day!": A 1-year observational study of presumed predatory journal invitations. Prog Orthod 2023; 24:21. [PMID: 37394538 DOI: 10.1186/s40510-023-00471-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed at investigating the predatory publishing phenomenon in orthodontics by analyzing the content of unsolicited e-mail invitations received within 12 months. METHODS All electronic invitations for manuscript submission, review and editorial membership received between 1 October 2021 and 30 September 2022 were collected from an orthodontist's inbox. The following data were recorded for each e-mail: date, journal title and origin, requested contribution, e-mail language, relevance to the researcher's discipline, journal characteristics (claimed metrics, editorial services, article types accepted, and publication fees), journal/publisher contact information and online presence. Journal/Publisher legitimacy and publishing standards were evaluated by listing in the Beall's list of potential predatory journals and publishers, the Predatory Reports of Cabell's Scholarly Analytics, and the Directory of Open Access Journals. RESULTS A total of 875 e-mail invitations deriving from 256 journals were retrieved within the observation period, with most of them soliciting article submissions. More than 76% of the solicitations originated from journals and publishers included in the blocklists used in the study. Salient features of predatory journals like flattering language, abundant grammatical errors, unclear publication charges and wide variety of article types and topics accepted for publication were confirmed for the examined journals/publishers. CONCLUSIONS Nearly 8 out of 10 unsolicited e-mail invitations sent to orthodontists for scholarly contribution may be related to journals suspicious for publishing malpractices and suboptimal standards. Excessive flattering language, grammatical errors, broad range of submissions, and incomplete journal contact information were commonly encountered findings. Researchers in orthodontics should be alert to the unethical policies of illegitimate journals and their harmful consequences on the scientific literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Livas
- Division of Orthodontics, Dental Clinics Zwolle, Stationsweg 5, 8011 CZ, Zwolle, The Netherlands.
| | - Konstantina Delli
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Jones AW. Highly cited forensic practitioners in the Nordic countries and their composite citation scores based on six different citation metrics. Med Leg J 2023:258172221145109. [PMID: 36752031 DOI: 10.1177/00258172221145109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Forensic science is a multidisciplinary field that involves the use of various scientific methods and techniques for the investigation of crimes. Forensic scientists are often required to testify in court as expert witnesses and explain the meaning of chemical, physical, and/or medical evidence to a judge and jury. This article took advantage of a citation database to identify the most highly cited forensic practitioners in four Nordic countries within the discipline of legal and forensic medicine. The starting point was 7 million scientists indexed in the SCOPUS database, each of whom had their name on at least five entries. Six different citation metrics were used to calculate a person's composite citation score. Those within the top 2% of their primary research discipline were considered highly cited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan W Jones
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of Linköping, Sweden
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Teixeira da Silva JA, Moradzadeh M, Yamada Y, Dunleavy DJ, Tsigaris P. Cabells' Predatory Reports criteria: Assessment and proposed revisions. JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIANSHIP 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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17
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Jena R, Sharma AP, Madhavan K. Author Reply Re: Jena R, Sharma AP, Madhavan K, Sridhar AN, Parmar K, Shrivastava N. What should urologists know about pseudojournals and open access publishing? A narrative review of the literature. Indian J Urol 2022;38:184-90. Indian J Urol 2023; 39:78-79. [PMID: 36824122 PMCID: PMC9942210 DOI: 10.4103/iju.iju_366_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Jena
- Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Aditya Prakash Sharma
- Department of Urology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Kumar Madhavan
- Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
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A descriptive study found low prevalence of presumed predatory publications in a subset of Cochrane reviews. J Clin Epidemiol 2022; 152:316-325. [PMID: 36113680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the prevalence of presumed predatory publications in Cochrane reviews, which are considered the gold standard. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING We selected two Cochrane networks with broad scope: the Musculoskeletal, Oral, Skin and Sensory Network and the Public Health and Health Systems Network. From reviews produced by all review groups in those networks in 2018 and 2019, we extracted included study citations published after 2000. For each citation, we assessed the journal and publisher using an algorithmic process based on characteristics known to be common among predatory publishers. Knowing that predatory status can be fluid and subjective, we scored citations on a spectrum from "reputable" to "presumed predatory" based on publication characteristics available at the time of assessment. RESULTS We assessed 6,750 citations from 300 reviews. Of these citations, 5,734 were published by entities widely accepted as reputable, leaving 1,591 for further assessment. We flagged 55 citations as concerning. CONCLUSION Cochrane reviews across diverse topic areas included studies from flagged publishers, although this number is small. Because of this, there is potential for studies from predatory journals to influence the conclusions of systematic reviews. Researchers should stay aware of this potential threat to the quality of reviews.
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Ibrahim H, Elhag SA, Elnour SM, Abdel-Razig S, Harhara T, Nair SC. Medical Resident Awareness of Predatory Journal Practices in an International Medical Education System. MEDICAL EDUCATION ONLINE 2022; 27:2139169. [PMID: 36268934 PMCID: PMC9590432 DOI: 10.1080/10872981.2022.2139169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Learning research methodology is increasingly becoming an essential part of graduate medical education worldwide, with many regulatory and accreditation bodies requiring residents to participate in scholarship. Research methodology workshops have become a standard part of medical curricula; however, there is limited data on how much training on journal selection and the publication process trainees receive. The alarming growth of predatory journals has made it increasingly difficult for researchers, especially trainees and early career physicians, to distinguish these publications from reputable journals. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge of reputable and predatory publishing practices amongst medical trainees in an international medical education setting in the United Arab Emirates. METHODS A survey on credible journal practices based on the 'Think. Check. Submit' initiative was sent to all graduate medical education trainees at two large academic medical centers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate variable frequencies. RESULTS Over half of the 160 respondents reported receiving prior research methodology training and 42.5% had at least one publication. The majority of the trainees selected impact factor and the quality of the peer-review process as characteristics of reputable journals. Ambiguous editorial board and rapid publication process were recognized as characteristics of predatory journals by >65% of trainees, however, 95% of all trainees were unaware of Beall's list or other resources to help select a journal for publication. 15.2% of trainees who received unsolicited emails from publishers submitted their manuscripts to the unfamiliar journals, citing peer recommendation and pressure to publish from their training programs as reasons. CONCLUSION Trainees in the United Arab Emirates were mostly unaware of reputable publication practices and are vulnerable to publishing in predatory journals. Policy and educational reform are necessary to maintain the credibility and integrity of the scientific process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halah Ibrahim
- Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Salma M Elnour
- Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Thana Harhara
- Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Lalu MM, Albert MA, Cobey KD. Peering into the dark corners of knowledge synthesis to understand the influence of predatory journals on systematic reviews. J Clin Epidemiol 2022; 152:295-297. [PMID: 36115546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Manoj M Lalu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Clinical Epidemiology Program, Centre for Journalology, Blueprint Translational Research Group, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Regenerative Medicine Program, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Marc A Albert
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelly D Cobey
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; University of Ottawa Heart Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Tomlinson OW. Analysis of predatory emails in early career academia and attempts at prevention. LEARNED PUBLISHING 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/leap.1500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Owen W. Tomlinson
- University of Exeter Medical School, College of Medicine and Health University of Exeter Exeter UK
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Ursić L, Gudelj D, Tomić V, Marušić M, Marušić A. Analysing overlay journals: The state‐of‐the‐art in 2021 and possible perspectives. LEARNED PUBLISHING 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/leap.1491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luka Ursić
- ST‐OPEN University of Split Split Croatia
- Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, Centre for Evidence‐based Medicine University of Split School of Medicine Split Croatia
| | | | | | | | - Ana Marušić
- ST‐OPEN University of Split Split Croatia
- Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, Centre for Evidence‐based Medicine University of Split School of Medicine Split Croatia
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Jena R, Sharma AP, Madhavan K, Sridhar AN, Parmar K, Shrivastava N. What should urologists know about Pseudojournals and open access publishing? A narrative review of the literature. Indian J Urol 2022; 38:184-190. [PMID: 35983114 PMCID: PMC9380452 DOI: 10.4103/iju.iju_403_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The majority of the open access publishing allows the researchers to publish their articles for a fee and at the same time enables the readers to access the research without paying the expensive journal subscription charges. Under the garb of open access publishing, predatory journals run a scam to dupe the researchers of money. This study was conducted to highlight the characteristics of pseudojournals and increase the awareness about their modus operandi. Methods The email inboxes of 3 academic urologists (APS, AS, and KP) were searched for emails soliciting articles for open access journals. A list of all such journals was compiled. These journals were checked for metrics from the Journal Citation Reports and the Scimago Journal Rankings. All these journals were then cross-checked with the available whitelists and blacklists. Features pointing toward a pseudo journal were identified as red flag signs for these journals and were noted. A literature search was performed on open access publishing and predatory journals, and the salient points were noted. A checklist of red flag signs was compiled. Results A total of 71 emails soliciting article submissions from 68 journals were received by the three urologists (APS, AS, KP). Of these, 54 were highly suggestive of being a pseudojournal, 5 journals were operating in the gray zone between genuine open access journals and outright predatory journals, and 9 were genuine open access journals. A total of 33 articles on predatory journals were reviewed after the literature search as per the PRISMA guidelines. The red flag signs identified along with the literature review were used to create the SAFEiMAP checklist, which can be used to identify predatory journals. Conclusion Predatory journals have infiltrated the whitelists, and the indexing databases like PubMed and no blacklist is all-inclusive. Understanding the concept and the types of open access publishing gives the researchers a better idea on how to differentiate fake journals from the genuine ones. Using a checklist will help to identify the red flag signs of such journals and identify those journals that operate in the gray zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Jena
- Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Aditya Prakash Sharma
- Department of Urology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Kumar Madhavan
- Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | | | - Kalpesh Parmar
- Department of Urology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Nikita Shrivastava
- Department of Urology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
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Kabulo KDM, Kanmounye US, Ntshindj SM, Yengayenga K, Takoutsing BD, Ntenga P, Jokonya L, Ntalaja J, Esene I, Musara A, Nday G, Kalau WA, Kaluile Ntenga Kalangu K. Vulnerability of African Neurosurgery to Predatory Journals: An Electronic Survey of Aspiring Neurosurgeons, Residents, and Consultants. World Neurosurg 2022; 161:e508-e513. [PMID: 35189419 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.02.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predatory journals (PJs) publish research with little to no rigorous peer review in exchange for money. It is unclear what proportion of researchers is vulnerable to PJs and which factors are associated with vulnerability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vulnerability of African neurosurgery researchers to PJs and identify their correlates. METHODS A 3-part electronic survey in English and French versions was distributed via social media to African consultants and trainees from November 1 to December 1, 2021. Bivariable relationships were evaluated with χ2 test, Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman ρ correlation, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS There were 101 respondents to the survey (response rate 56.1%). Respondents had mean age of 34.9 years, 82.2% were male (n = 83), 38.6% were consultant neurosurgeons (n = 39), and 33.7% were from Central Africa (n = 34). Of respondents, 66 had published ≥ 1 articles in the past, and 13 had published at least 1 article in a PJ. A PJ had contacted 34 respondents via e-mail, and 8 respondents had reviewed articles for a PJ. The Think. Check. Submit initiative and Beall's list were familiar to 19 and 13 respondents, respectively. Publication in PJs was correlated with the respondent's age (R = 0.23, P = 0.02) and total scholarly output (R = 0.38, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Young African neurosurgery researchers are vulnerable to PJs primarily because they are not familiar with the concept of PJs or how to identify them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah Mutomb Ntshindj
- Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Surgery, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | | | | | - Patrice Ntenga
- Dr. Joseph Guislain Neuropsychiatric Center of the Brothers of Charity, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Luxwell Jokonya
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Jeff Ntalaja
- Clinique Ngaliema, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Ignatius Esene
- Neurosurgery Division, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
| | - Aaron Musara
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Guy Nday
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Willy Arung Kalau
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
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Moher D, Khan H, Vieira Armond A, Ghannad M. Disseminating biomedical research: Predatory journals and practices. INDIAN JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.4103/0973-3698.364675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Correa CL. How to survive in the academic jungle? Protection strategies against predatory journals. FISIOTERAPIA EM MOVIMENTO 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/fm.2022.35001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Teixeira da Silva JA, Moradzadeh M, Adjei KOK, Owusu-Ansah CM, Balehegn M, Faúndez EI, Janodia MD, Al-Khatib A. An integrated paradigm shift to deal with ‘predatory publishing’. JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIANSHIP 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Gogovor A, Zomahoun HTV, Ekanmian G, Adisso ÉL, Deom Tardif A, Khadhraoui L, Rheault N, Moher D, Légaré F. Sex and gender considerations in reporting guidelines for health research: a systematic review. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:62. [PMID: 34801060 PMCID: PMC8605583 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00404-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite growing recognition of the importance of sex and gender considerations in health research, they are rarely integrated into research design and reporting. We sought to assess the integration of sex, as a biological attribute, and gender, as a socially constructed identity, in published reporting guidelines. Methods We conducted a systematic review of published reporting guidelines listed on the EQUATOR website (www.equator-nework.org) from inception until December 2018. We selected all reporting guidelines (original and extensions) listed in the EQUATOR library. We used EndNote Citation Software to build a database of the statements of each guideline identified as a "full bibliographic reference" and retrieved the full texts. Reviewers independently extracted the data on use of sex and gender terms from the checklist/abstract/main text of guidelines. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis. Results A total of 407 reporting guidelines were included; they were published between 1995 and 2018. Of the 407 guidelines, 235 (57.7%) mentioned at least one of the sex- and gender-related words. In the checklist of the reporting guidelines (n = 363), “sex” and “gender” were mentioned in 50 (13.8%) and 40 (11%), respectively. Only one reporting guideline met our criteria (nonbinary, appropriate categorization, and non-interchangeability) for correct use of sex and gender concepts. Trends in the use of "sex" and "gender" in the checklists showed that the use of “sex” only started in 2003, while “gender” has been in use since 1996. Conclusions We assessed the integration of sex and gender in reporting guidelines based on the use of sex- and gender-related words. Our findings showed a low use and integration of sex and gender concepts and their incorrect use. Authors of reporting guidelines should reduce this gap for a better use of research knowledge. Trial registration PROSPERO no. CRD42019136491. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13293-021-00404-0. Omission of sex and gender considerations is a recurring deficiency in research design and reporting Integration of sex and gender considerations in health research reporting guidelines is very low Three criteria were used to assess correct use of sex and gender concepts Only one reporting guideline met the three criteria A call to action is made to address these deficiencies
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Affiliation(s)
- Amédé Gogovor
- Quebec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Shared Decision Making and Knowledge Translation, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - Hervé Tchala Vignon Zomahoun
- Quebec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - Giraud Ekanmian
- Quebec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - Évèhouénou Lionel Adisso
- Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Shared Decision Making and Knowledge Translation, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - Alèxe Deom Tardif
- Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Shared Decision Making and Knowledge Translation, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - Lobna Khadhraoui
- Quebec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - Nathalie Rheault
- Quebec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada
| | - David Moher
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building, 501 Smyth Road, PO Box 201B, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - France Légaré
- Quebec SPOR-SUPPORT Unit, Quebec City, QC, Canada. .,Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Shared Decision Making and Knowledge Translation, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada. .,Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada. .,VITAM-Centre de Recherche en Santé Durable, Pavillon Landry-Poulin, 2525, Chemin de la Canardière, Quebec, QC, G1J 0A4, Canada.
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Moussa S. A “Trojan horse” in the reference lists: Citations to a hijacked journal in SSCI-indexed marketing journals. JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIANSHIP 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Teixeira da Silva JA, Dunleavy DJ, Moradzadeh M, Eykens J. A credit-like rating system to determine the legitimacy of scientific journals and publishers. Scientometrics 2021; 126:8589-8616. [PMID: 34421155 PMCID: PMC8370857 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-04118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The predatory nature of a journal is in constant debate because it depends on multiple factors, which keep evolving. The classification of a journal as being predatory, or not, is no longer exclusively associated with its open access status, by inclusion or exclusion on perceived reputable academic indexes and/or on whitelists or blacklists. Inclusion in the latter may itself be determined by a host of criteria, may be riddled with type I errors (e.g., erroneous inclusion of a truly predatory journal in a whitelist) and/or type II errors (e.g., erroneous exclusion of a truly valid scholarly journal in a whitelist). While extreme cases of predatory publishing behavior may be clear cut, with true predatory journals displaying ample predatory properties, journals in non-binary grey zones of predatory criteria are difficult to classify. They may have some legitimate properties, but also some illegitimate ones. In such cases, it might be too extreme to refer to such entities as "predatory". Simply referring to them as "potentially predatory" or "borderline predatory" also does little justice to discern a predatory entity from an unscholarly, low-quality, unprofessional, or exploitative one. Faced with the limitations caused by this gradient of predatory dimensionality, this paper introduces a novel credit-like rating system, based in part on well-known financial credit ratings companies used to assess investment risk and creditworthiness, to assess journal or publisher quality. Cognizant of the weaknesses and criticisms of these rating systems, we suggest their use as a new way to view the scholarly nature of a journal or publisher. When used as a tool to supplement, replace, or reinforce current sets of criteria used for whitelists and blacklists, this system may provide a fresh perspective to gain a better understanding of predatory publishing behavior. Our tool does not propose to offer a definitive solution to this problem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel J. Dunleavy
- Center for Translational Behavioral Science, College of Medicine, Florida State University, 2010 Levy Ave Building B, Tallahassee, FL 32310 USA
| | - Mina Moradzadeh
- Department of Medical Library and Information Science, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Joshua Eykens
- Centre for R&D Monitoring (ECOOM), Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Oviedo-García MÁ. Journal citation reports and the definition of a predatory journal: The case of the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). RESEARCH EVALUATION 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/reseval/rvab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The extent to which predatory journals can harm scientific practice increases as the numbers of such journals expand, in so far as they undermine scientific integrity, quality, and credibility, especially if those journals leak into prestigious databases. Journal Citation Reports (JCRs), a reference for the assessment of researchers and for grant-making decisions, is used as a standard whitelist, in so far as the selectivity of a JCR-indexed journal adds a legitimacy of sorts to the articles that the journal publishes. The Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) once included on Beall’s list of potential, possible or probable predatory scholarly open-access publishers, had 53 journals ranked in the 2018 JCRs annual report. These journals are analysed, not only to contrast the formal criteria for the identification of predatory journals, but taking a step further, their background is also analysed with regard to self-citations and the source of those self-citations in 2018 and 2019. The results showed that the self-citation rates increased and was very much higher than those of the leading journals in the JCR category. Besides, an increasingly high rate of citations from other MDPI-journals was observed. The formal criteria together with the analysis of the citation patterns of the 53 journals under analysis all singled them out as predatory journals. Hence, specific recommendations are given to researchers, educational institutions and prestigious databases advising them to review their working relations with those sorts of journals.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ángeles Oviedo-García
- Economics and Business Management Faculty, Business Management and Marketing Department, Univesity of Seville, Avda. Ramón y Cajal, 1, Seville 41018, Spain
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Bizzaro N, Kabelitz D. A welcome of the Immunologic Research's new editors. Immunol Res 2021; 69:307-308. [PMID: 34346035 PMCID: PMC8331210 DOI: 10.1007/s12026-021-09207-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Bizzaro
- Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, San Antonio Hospital, Tolmezzo, Italy
- Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata, Udine, Italy
| | - Dieter Kabelitz
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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Munn Z, Barker T, Stern C, Pollock D, Ross-White A, Klugar M, Wiechula R, Aromataris E, Shamseer L. Should I include studies from "predatory" journals in a systematic review? Interim guidance for systematic reviewers. JBI Evid Synth 2021; 19:1915-1923. [PMID: 34171895 DOI: 10.11124/jbies-21-00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT A systematic review involves the identification, evaluation, and synthesis of the best-available evidence to provide an answer to a specific question. The "best-available evidence" is, in many cases, a peer-reviewed scientific article published in an academic journal that details the conduct and results of a scientific study. Any potential threat to the validity of these individual studies (and hence the resultant synthesis) must be evaluated and critiqued.In science, the number of predatory journals continue to rise. Studies published in predatory journals may be of lower quality and more likely to be impacted by fraud and error compared to studies published in traditional journals. This poses a threat to the validity of systematic reviews that include these studies and, therefore, the translation of evidence into guidance for policy and practice. Despite the challenges predatory journals present to systematic reviewers, there is currently little guidance regarding how they should be managed.In 2020, a subgroup of the JBI Scientific Committee was formed to investigate this issue. In this overview paper, we introduce predatory journals to systematic reviewers, outline the problems they present and their potential impact on systematic reviews, and provide some alternative strategies for consideration of studies from predatory journals in systematic reviews. Options for systematic reviewers could include excluding all studies from suspected predatory journals, applying additional strategies to forensically examine the results of studies published in suspected predatory journals, setting stringent search limits, and applying analytical techniques (such as subgroup or sensitivity analyses) to investigate the impact of suspected predatory journals in a synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Munn
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Timothy Barker
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Cindy Stern
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Danielle Pollock
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Amanda Ross-White
- Amanda Ross-White, Queen's University Library, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Miloslav Klugar
- Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation (Cochrane Czech Republic, The Czech Republic [Middle European] Centre for Evidence-based Healthcare: A JBI Centre of Excellence, Masaryk University GRADE Center), Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rick Wiechula
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Edoardo Aromataris
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Larissa Shamseer
- Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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"Evidence-based checklists" for identifying predatory journals have not been assessed for reliability or validity: An analysis and proposal for moving forward. J Clin Epidemiol 2021; 138:40-48. [PMID: 34182146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Predatory journals (PJs) pose a threat to the quality/integrity of scientific publishing. Checklists have been proposed to identify PJs, but few are "evidence-based". This study's objective was to search for/assess evidence-based checklists (EBCs) for reliability and validity, based on a new consensus definition of PJs. METHODS A published methods guideline for scale development was used to identify how many steps were completed in the generation of identified EBCs. Items from each EBC were compared against the consensus definition, and a list of items to be considered in the creation of a composite EBC to identify PJs was generated. RESULTS Four EBCs were identified. None of these had completed the first of the nine steps for scale development and validation. Forty-seven items from the four EBCs were assessed against the consensus definition, of which 28 items fell within the definition. A proposed composite EBC was created from items matching components of the consensus definition. CONCLUSION EBCs to detect PJs lack assessment of reliability and validity. To a varying degree, the EBCs contain items that match the scope of the new consensus definition of PJs. With the recent consensus definition, EBCs creators now have a clearer target, and can make adjustments.
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Rice DB, Skidmore B, Cobey KD. Dealing with predatory journal articles captured in systematic reviews. Syst Rev 2021; 10:175. [PMID: 34116713 PMCID: PMC8194037 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-021-01733-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Systematic reviews appraise and synthesize the results from a body of literature. In healthcare, systematic reviews are also used to develop clinical practice guidelines. An increasingly common concern among systematic reviews is that they may unknowingly capture studies published in "predatory" journals and that these studies will be included in summary estimates and impact results, guidelines, and ultimately, clinical care. FINDINGS There is currently no agreed-upon guidance that exists for how best to manage articles from predatory journals that meet the inclusion criteria for a systematic review. We describe a set of actions that authors of systematic reviews can consider when handling articles published in predatory journals: (1) detail methods for addressing predatory journal articles a priori in a study protocol, (2) determine whether included studies are published in open access journals and if they are listed in the directory of open access journals, and (3) conduct a sensitivity analysis with predatory papers excluded from the synthesis. CONCLUSION Encountering eligible articles published in presumed predatory journals when conducting a review is an increasingly common threat. Developing appropriate methods to account for eligible research published in predatory journals is needed to decrease the potential negative impact of predatory journals on healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle B Rice
- Department of Psychology, 2001 Avenue McGill College, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. .,Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. .,Center for Practice Changing Research, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Box 201b, Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 8L6, Canada.
| | - Becky Skidmore
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelly D Cobey
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave, Ottawa, Canada
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de La Blanchardière A, Barde F, Peiffer-Smadja N, Maisonneuve H. [Predatory journals: A real threat for medical research. 1. Identify these journals and understand how they work]. Rev Med Interne 2021; 42:421-426. [PMID: 33867197 DOI: 10.1016/j.revmed.2021.03.329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The "author-pay" model of open access publication, which appeared in 2002, allocates to the author or his institution the costs of processing articles due to the journal after acceptance, for an amount of a few hundred to several thousand euros. New publishers emerged towards the end of the 2000s, which used this model but with purely commercial objectives, offering naive authors and/or wishing to quickly expand their curriculum vitae by publications in "predatory journals". They are characterized by aggressive e-mail solicitations, lack of ethics, lack of details about the publisher and the editorial board, poor peer review, unspecified and low fees for processing articles, a lack of indexing and the promise of rapid publication.
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Affiliation(s)
- A de La Blanchardière
- Service des maladies infectieuses et tropicales, UNICAEN, CHU de Caen Normandie, université de Normandie, 14000 Caen, France.
| | - F Barde
- Service de rhumatologie, Hôpital Bicêtre, AP-HP, 94270 Le-Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - N Peiffer-Smadja
- National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, Imperial College London, London, Royaume-Uni; Inserm, IAME, université de Paris, 75018 Paris, France; Service de maladies infectieuses et tropicales, Hôpital Bichat - Claude-Bernard, AP-HP, 75018 Paris, France
| | - H Maisonneuve
- Comité scientifique, IRAFPA (Institute of Research and Action on Fraud and Plagiarism in Academia), Genève, Suisse; H2MVV, 30, rue Faidherbe, 75011 Paris, France
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One year of unsolicited e-mails: The modus operandi of predatory journals and publishers. J Dent 2021; 109:103618. [PMID: 33636240 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2021.103618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To quantify, characterize and analyze e-mail from predatory journals (PJ) received by an academic in dentistry. METHODS E-mails received in 2019 and suspected of being potentially predatory were pre-selected. The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) checklist was applied to identify the suspected biomedical PJ, including the following criteria: article processing charge (APC), fake impact factor, the journal being listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). We also extracted information on the lack of an impact factor on Journal Citations Reports, non-journal affiliated contact e-mail address, flattering language, article and/or personal citation, unsubscribe link, being listed in the National Library of Medicine (NLM) current catalog and indexed on Medline. RESULTS A total of 2812 unsolicited suspected e-mails were received, and 1837 requested some sort of manuscript; among these, 1751 met some of the OHRI criteria. Less than half (780/1837, 42 %) referred to some area of dentistry. The median APC was US$399. A false impact factor was mentioned in 11 % (201/1837) of the e-mails, and 27 % (504/1837) corresponded to journals currently listed in the NLM catalog. Journals listed in DOAJ and COPE sent 89 e-mails. CONCLUSIONS The email campaign from PJ was high and recurrent. Researchers should be well informed about PJ' modus operandi to protect their own reputation as authors and that of science. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Peer review and established academic practices and etiquette contribute to ensuring scientific progress, which is essential to protect the health of patients in particular and of people in general. Predatory journals constitute a threat to peer review and scientific etiquette and, as such, may hinder scientific progress and public health.
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Moussa S. Citation contagion: a citation analysis of selected predatory marketing journals. Scientometrics 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03729-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Aromataris
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Cindy Stern
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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