Plagiarism Is Ubiquitous

The Editors-in-Chief of Anesthesia & Analgesia Over 100 Years: Creating the Voice of the Global Anesthesiology Community

The year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Anesthesia & Analgesia, the longest-running anesthesiology publication in the world. Founded in 1922 as Current Researches in Anesthesia & Analgesia by the visionary and charismatic Francis McMechan, MD, the journal served as a reliable mirror for the key scientific and political issues facing the nascent specialty of anesthesiology. Under the leadership of 6 subsequent Editors-in-Chief over the ensuing century-Howard Dittrick, MD; T. Harry Seldon, MD; Nicholas M. Greene, MD; Ronald D. Miller, MD; Steven L. Shafer, MD; and Jean-Francois Pittet, MD-Anesthesia & Analgesia has grown in size, circulation, and impact. Today, it remains a formidable voice in the global anesthesia community.

Describing the Attributional Nature of Academic Dishonesty

There is strong evidence that dishonesty occurs amongst medical students, and other allied health students and growing evidence that it occurs amongst medical academics. We believe that accidental dishonesty (or not knowing about the rules of regulations governing academic integrity) is a common attribution describing engagement in dishonesty; however, we believe that dishonest action is more often influenced and determined according to circumstance. In this paper, we aim to work through the literature that frames dishonest action with a focus on medical education, research and publication. We argue that the implications for medical education are far reaching and the root causes of many instances of dishonesty need to be more fully understood so that comprehensive, case-by-case ameliorative strategies can be developed.

Understanding of plagiarism among North-African university hospital doctors (UHDs): A pilot study

No previous North-African study has evaluated the UHDs understanding of plagiarism (UP). This descriptive study aimed to assess UP among Tunisian UHDs. UHDs were recruited via electronic mails sent to all the Tunisian UHDs through the national health networks and by convenience sampling via a questionnaire provided directly to some UHDs. The French survey, available from the Laval University website, includes 11 questions related to UP, with three-choice answers (yes/no/may be). One point was awarded for each correct answer. A total score lower than six corresponded to a low level of UP. 96 UHDs (69 females) responded to the survey either through emails (39.6%) or by filled in the paper (60.4%). The mean ±SD (95% confidence interval) score of UP was considered low at 5.4 ± 1.9 (5.0 to 5.8); 74% of the participants had a low UP. The UP score was significantly different between the categories of assistants and professors. Data comparison between subjective and objective assessments revealed that significant percentages of UHDs underestimated their low UP. This was more marked in the professors' category. There was no significant correlation between the UP total score and the UHDs' age or professional experience. To conclude, plagiarism is not well-known to North African UHDs. Abbreviations: MD: medical doctor; MSc: master of sciences; PhD: doctor of philosophy; r: Spearman correlation coefficient; SD: standard deviation; UHDs: university hospital doctors; UP: understanding of plagiarism; 95% CI: 95% confidence interval.

Writing Research Reports

Clear writing makes manuscripts easier to understand. Clear writing enhances research reports, increasing clinical adoption and scientific impact. We discuss styles and organization to help junior investigators present their findings and avoid common errors.

Legal and ethical issues in research

Legal and ethical issues form an important component of modern research, related to the subject and researcher. This article seeks to briefly review the various international guidelines and regulations that exist on issues related to informed consent, confidentiality, providing incentives and various forms of research misconduct. Relevant original publications (The Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences/World Health Organisation International Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, World Association of Medical Editors Recommendations on Publication Ethics Policies, International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, CoSE White Paper, International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use-Good Clinical Practice) form the literature that are relevant to the ethical and legal aspects of conducting research that researchers should abide by when conducting translational and clinical research. Researchers should note the major international guidelines and regional differences in legislation. Hence, specific ethical advice should be sought at local Ethics Review Committees.