Interventions to enhance the research productivity of academic staff in higher education schools of nursing: A systematic review

AIM

Synthesize and present peer-reviewed evidence of interventions that enhance the research productivity of academics in Schools of Nursing in Higher Education Institutions.

BACKGROUND

Pressures on academics in Schools of Nursing worldwide to increase or maintain high research productivity persist and numerous Higher Education Institutions across the world have developed interventions to increase productivity. Given evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a withdrawal from research, understanding which interventions best support and improve research productivity is urgent. Increasing research capacity is crucial but only one element in increasing productivity. No recent attempt has been made to synthesise the knowledge gained from these more wide-ranging initiatives.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods systematic review, registered in PROSPERO, searching four academic databases (CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO) from 1/01/2010-20/04/2022. All primary research studies of relevant interventions were included if they described the intervention, reported its outcomes and were published in the English language in peer-reviewed journals.

RESULTS

1637 studies were assessed against eligibility criteria, resulting in 20 included studies. No studies were excluded based on quality. Data pertaining to understandings of 'research productivity', barriers to research productivity, interventions and outcomes of interventions were extracted. The most often used measures were the frequency or staff-output ratio of funding, publications and presentations, while the less commonly used were the number of conference abstracts submitted/accepted and awards. Subjective measures were less commonly used. Barriers to research productivity fell into three broad categories: resource constraints, lack of priority for research and barriers related to the attitudes, knowledge and skills of School of Nursing academics. Interventions covered nine broad areas. Half of the interventions were multi-stranded, including a wide range of components to increase research productivity while the other half comprised one component only, such as writing groups and mentoring. All interventions had a positive impact on research productivity, however, heterogeneity in the measurement of impact, the duration of interventions, sources of comparative data and research design made comparison of interventions challenging.

CONCLUSIONS

The review identified a need for future research to explore the barriers among under-represented groups of academics in Schools of Nursing across a broader geographical area; and what works for various sub-groups of academics. It also identified a need for a valid, standardised tool to assess the effectiveness of interventions to increase research productivity of academics in Schools of Nursing.

[Analysis of project funding in occupational Health and Epidemiology of National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2008 to 2019]

Objective: To analysis the projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in the fields of occupational health (code H2602) and occupational diseases (code H2402) from 2008 to 2019, to provide a reference for the project application of scientific researchers in the field of occupational diseases in China. Methods: In October 2021, the information of all National Natural Science Foundation projects in the field of occupational health and occupational diseases from 2008 to 2019 was collected through LetPub website. It mainly analyzes the types of funded projects, the types of supporting units, the occupational disease hazard factors of the funded projects, the types of occupational injuries and representative research directions. Results: From 2008 to 2019, the National Natural Science Foundation of China funded a total of 282 projects in the field of occupational health and occupational diseases, with a total funding of 113.902 million yuan. Among them, 138 projects (48.94%) were funded, 96 (34.04%) were funded by youth science funds, and 35 projects (12.41%) were funded by regional science funds. 31 (79.93%) funded projects relied on the type of institutions of higher learning, 126 (46.84%) occupational disease hazard factors were chemical factors, and 83 (30.86%) occupational damage types were lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis. Epigenetic regulation is the most important representative research direction of the funded projects. Conclusion: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) project funding in the field of occupational health and occupational diseases in China has maintained a stable trend, but there are still problems such as incomplete funding system and late start of some research directions.

Health sciences librarian research and instruction services in pandemic information environments

This study examined research and instruction services provided by academic health sciences librarians in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 205 respondents (N = 205) completed an anonymous online survey about academic health sciences librarian involvement in providing research and instruction services during the global pandemic. In-depth literature searching services (86%, n = 176), curated COVID-19 research through guides (66%, n = 135), and systematic review consultations (53%, n = 109) were reported as the top three research services in demand. Librarians supported online teaching and learning at their institutions by providing online instruction for a course (92%, n = 189), facilitating access to licensed resources (73%, n = 150), and identifying open access and open educational resources (62%, n = 127). Overall, this study contributes to understanding pandemic-responsive academic library services to meet the unique needs of health sciences education and research in evolving COVID-19 pandemic information environments.

Alcohol, cardiovascular disease and industry funding: A co-authorship network analysis of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Alcohol's effects on heart health is the site of a major scientific controversy. We conducted a co-authorship network analysis of systematic reviews on the impacts on alcohol on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in order to investigate patterns of co-authorship in the literature, with particular attention given to industry funding.

METHODS

We used Epistemonikos to identify systematic reviews. Review characteristics, influential authors, co-authorship subnetworks, prior histories of alcohol industry funding, study outcomes and citations were investigated.

RESULTS

60 systematic reviews with 231 unique authors met our inclusion criteria. 14 systematic reviews were undertaken by authors with histories of alcohol industry funding, including 5 that were funded directly by the alcohol industry itself. All 14 such reviews identified a cardioprotective effect of alcohol. These formed distinct co-authorship subnetworks within the literature. Of reviews by authors with no prior histories of alcohol industry funding, the findings were mixed, with 54% (25/46) concluding there was evidence of health protective effects. These two groups of reviews differed in other respects. Those with industry funding were more likely to study broader outcomes such as 'cardiovascular disease' or 'coronary heart disease' as opposed to specific CVD issues such as hypertension or stroke (93% [13/14] versus 41% [19/46]) (chi-squared 12.4, p < 0.001) and have more included studies (mean of 29 versus 20). They were also more widely cited by others. Over time the proportions of systematic reviews on CVD and alcohol undertaken by authors with no prior histories of alcohol industry funding has increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Systematic reviews undertaken by authors with histories of alcohol industry funding were more likely to study broader outcomes, and be cited more widely, and exclusively reported favorable conclusions.

Systematic reviews: Structure, form and content

This article aims to provide an overview of the structure, form and content of systematic reviews. It focuses in particular on the literature searching component, and covers systematic database searching techniques, searching for grey literature and the importance of librarian involvement in the search. It also covers systematic review reporting standards such as PRISMA-P and PRISMA, critical appraisal and tools and resources to support the review and ensure it is conducted efficiently and effectively. Finally, it summarizes the requirements when screening search results for inclusion in the review, and the statistical synthesis of included studies' findings.

Creating conference posters: Structure, form and content

This article aims to provide an overview of the form, structure and content of conference posters for researchers who intend to submit an academic poster to a conference. It focuses in particular on the design and layout of academic conference posters, making some suggestions for possible poster layouts. It also provides information about factors influencing conference selection. Finally, it summarises some top tips to be considered when creating a conference poster such as font selection and use of images.

Writing for publication: Structure, form, content, and journal selection

This article provides an overview of writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals. While the main focus is on writing a research article, it also provides guidance on factors influencing journal selection, including journal scope, intended audience for the findings, open access requirements, and journal citation metrics. Finally, it covers the standard content of a scientific journal article, providing general advice and guidance regarding the information researchers would typically include in their published papers.

Scientists in pyjamas: characterising the working arrangements and productivity of Australian medical researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

To characterise the working arrangements of medical research scientists and support staff in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to evaluate factors (in particular: wearing pyjamas) that influence the self-assessed productivity and mental health of medical institute staff working from home.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort survey study, 30 April - 18 May 2020.

SETTING, PARTICIPANTS

Staff (scientists and non-scientists) and students at five medical research institutes in Sydney, New South Wales.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-assessed overall and task-specific productivity, and mental health.

RESULTS

The proportions of non-scientists and scientists who wore pyjamas during the day were similar (3% v 11%; P = 0.31). Wearing pyjamas was not associated with differences in self-evaluated productivity, but was significantly associated with more frequent reporting of poorer mental health than non-pyjama wearers while working from home (59% v 26%; P < 0.001). Having children in the home were significantly associated with changes in productivity. Larger proportions of people with toddlers reported reduced overall productivity (63% v 32%; P = 0.008), and reduced productivity in writing manuscripts (50% v 17%; P = 0.023) and data analysis (63% v 23%; P = 0.002). People with primary school children more frequently reported reduced productivity in writing manuscripts (42% v 16%; P = 0.026) and generating new ideas (43% v 19%; P = 0.030). On a positive note, the presence of children in the home was not associated with changes in mental health during the pandemic. In contrast to established researchers, early career researchers frequently reported reduced productivity while working at home.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are probably applicable to scientists in other countries. They may help improve work-from-home policies by removing the stigma associated with pyjama wearing during work and by providing support for working parents and early career researchers.

Measuring institutional support strategies and faculty job effectiveness

This study examines the influence of institutional support strategies on the effectiveness of Faculty core job responsibilities in some selected public universities in Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for the assessment of the subject matter. Six hundred (600) respondents were surveyed across all the colleges/faculties of universities selected in Nigeria with the use of stratified sampling technique. Only four hundred and twenty nine (429) copies of questionnaire representing (71.5%) response rate were returned and used for this study. Structural Equation Model (AMOS 22) was used for the analysis to find the influence institutional support initiative on efficacy of job responsibilities of Faculty. Results show research support, pedagogical support and technical support are predictors of Faculty responsiveness to quality research productivity, quality knowledge sharing and administrative efficiency. The study emphasised the need for review of the various institutional support in order to determine the appropriateness and relevance of the initiative. The study contributes to the exiting knowledge in HRM and Facility job performance. The insights from this study would be of great value to the management of universities, and other stakeholders to develop and invest in appropriate institutional support that will enhance job effectiveness of Faculty members.

A comparative analysis of National Institutes of Health research support for emergency medicine - 2008 to 2017

OBJECTIVES

We sought to compare National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding received by Emergency Medicine (EM) to the specialties of Family Medicine, Neurology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics and Psychiatry over the 10-year period from 2008 to 2017.

METHODS

The NIH database of both submitted and funded NIH applications were queried and crossed with the departmental affiliation of the principal investigator. Research Grants were defined by the following activity codes: R, P, M, S, K, U (excluding UC6), DP1, DP2, DP3, DP4, DP5, D42 and G12. Derived data were further analyzed using information from the Association of American Medical Colleges to determine the relationship between the number of awards and the size of respective teaching and research faculty.

RESULTS

From 2008 to 2017, there were a total of 14,676 funded grants across included specialties with total monetary support of $6.002 billion. Of these funded grants, 250 (1.7%) were from EM principal investigators which corresponded to total support of $89,453,635 (1.5% of overall dollars). There was an increase in total support after 2012 in EM, however when compared to the other specialties, EM investigators submitted relatively fewer grants and awarded grants were funded by a wider distribution of NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to other select specialties, EM investigators accounted for a small proportion of grants submitted and funded over the past decade. Though findings illustrate promising trends, to foster success, more submitted grant applications are needed from within EM along with systematic approaches to support faculty members in their pursuit of NIH funding.

Exploring qualitative methods reported in registered trials and their yields (EQUITY): systematic review

Background

The value of qualitative methods within trials is widely recognised, but their full potential is not being realised. There are also issues with the visibility, recognition and reporting of qualitative methods in trials. To identify potential improvements in qualitative research within trials, we need to study trials that have included qualitative methods. We aimed to explore the frequency of reporting qualitative methods in registered trials, the types of trials using qualitative methods and where in the world these trials were conducted.

Methods

We included registries if they were searchable using keywords and held summaries of trials rather than listing reports or publications. We searched the included registries from the first available record in 1999 to the end of 2016 for the term ‘qualitative’. We included trials only if we could confirm that they used qualitative methods through documented use of qualitative data collection and analysis in the registry summary. We analysed registered trials reporting the use of qualitative methods by: year registered, the country responsible for overseeing governance of the trial and the type of trial intervention (categorised as surgical, medical device, behavioural, drug or other).

Results

We included three registries: ClinicalTrials.gov, the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry (ISRCTN) and the World Health Organisation International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO ICTRP). A total of 615,311 trials appear in these three registries from 1999 until the end of 2016. Numbers differed across registries with the WHO ICTRP the largest (366,753 trials), ClinicalTrials.gov the second largest (233,277) and ISRCTN the smallest (15,301). Of these registered trials, we confirmed that 1492 (0.24%) reported using qualitative methods. The ISRCTN contributed the highest percentage of trials reported as using qualitative methods (3.4%); in contrast, ClinicalTrials.gov reported 0.3% and WHO ICTRP reported 0.03%. The number and percentage of trials reported to use qualitative methods increased over time from 0 (0.0%) in 1999 to 285 (0.38%) in 2016. Trials reported as using qualitative methods originated from 52 countries across the world. Most were in Western higher-income countries: 38% in the United Kingdom and 28% in the United States. Most registered trials reported as using qualitative methods evaluated behavioural (39%) or other interventions with many fewer trials evaluating drugs (5%), medical devices (5%) or surgical interventions (4%).

Conclusion

The reported use of qualitative methods in registered trials has increased over time and worldwide. They are reportedly more frequent in high-income countries and in trials of behavioural and other interventions. Trialists and other stakeholders need to recognise the benefits of using qualitative methods in surgical, device and drug trials, and trials conducted in poorer countries. Moreover, they should seriously consider using qualitative methods in these trials.

The Future of Behavior Analysis: Foxes and Hedgehogs Revisited

Some twenty-five years ago The Behavior Analyst published a paper by David Rider (The Behavior Analyst, 14, 171-181, 1991) titled "The speciation of behavior analysis." Rider's thesis was that basic and applied behavior analysis, for a variety of reasons, are destined to become independent species. In a commentary on this paper I pointed out, for example, that scientists and engineers are interdependent, especially at the frontiers of application. I was sanguine about a continuing analogous relationship between basic and applied behavior analysis. However, especially in the last decade, indications are that basic and applied behavior analysis may indeed be emerging as distinct species. I discuss several themes in a review of the "literature of survival" addressing the evolving complex relations between basic and applied behavior analysis, including constraints on training leading to narrow foci of application, our often self-imposed isolation from those with whom we could productively collaborate, and the difficulties of obtaining sufficient support for our science. All these challenges reflect a briar-patch of interlocking contingencies; each one depends crucially on the others and we cannot effectively address any in isolation. Thus solutions will not be easy, but our long-term survival as a coherent discipline absolutely depends on finding some.

Conflict of interest and professional medical associations: the North American Spine Society experience

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Recently the financial relationships between industry and professional medical associations have come under increased scrutiny because of the concern that industry ties may create real or perceived conflicts of interest. Professional medical associations pursue public advocacy as well as promote medical education, develop clinical practice guidelines, fund research, and regulate professional conduct. Therefore, the conflicts of interest of a professional medical association and its leadership can have more far-reaching effects on patient care than those of an individual physician.

PURPOSE

Few if any professional medical associations have reported their experience with implementing strict divestment and disclosure policies, and among the policies that have been issued, there is little uniformity. We describe the experience of the North American Spine Society (NASS) in implementing comprehensive conflicts of interest policies.

STUDY DESIGN

A special feature article.

METHODS

We discuss financial conflicts of interest as they apply to professional medical associations rather than to individual physicians. We describe the current policies of disclosure and divestment adopted by the NASS and how these policies have evolved, been refined, and have had no detrimental impact on membership, attendance at annual meetings, finances, or leadership recruitment. No funding was received for this work. The authors report no potential conflict-of-interest-associated biases in the text.

RESULTS

The NASS has shown that a professional medical association can manage its financial relationships with industry in a manner that minimizes influence and bias.

CONCLUSIONS

The NASS experience can provide a template for other professional medical associations to help manage their own possible conflicts of interest issues.