Dataset Information

A prospective study on an innovative online forum for peer reviewing of surgical science.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Peer review is important to the scientific process. However, the present system has been criticised and accused of bias, lack of transparency, failure to detect significant breakthrough and error. At the British Journal of Surgery (BJS), after surveying authors' and reviewers' opinions on peer review, we piloted an open online forum with the aim of improving the peer review process.

Methods

In December 2014, a web-based survey assessing attitudes towards open online review was sent to reviewers with a BJS account in Scholar One. From April to June 2015, authors were invited to allow their manuscripts to undergo online peer review in addition to the standard peer review process. The quality of each review was evaluated by editors and editorial assistants using a validated instrument based on a Likert scale.

Results

The survey was sent to 6635 reviewers. In all, 1454 (21.9%) responded. Support for online peer review was strong, with only 10% stating that they would not subject their manuscripts to online peer review. The most prevalent concern was about intellectual property, being highlighted in 118 of 284 comments (41.5%). Out of 265 eligible manuscripts, 110 were included in the online peer review trial. Around 7000 potential reviewers were invited to review each manuscript. In all, 44 of 110 manuscripts (40%) received 100 reviews from 59 reviewers, alongside 115 conventional reviews. The quality of the open forum reviews was lower than for conventional reviews (2.13 (± 0.75) versus 2.84 (± 0.71), P<0.001).

Conclusion

Open online peer review is feasible in this setting, but it attracts few reviews, of lower quality than conventional peer reviews.

SUBMITTER: Almquist M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5491000 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A prospective study on an innovative online forum for peer reviewing of surgical science.

Almquist Martin M von Allmen Regula S RS Carradice Dan D Oosterling Steven J SJ McFarlane Kirsty K Wijnhoven Bas B

PloS one 20170629 6

<h4>Background</h4>Peer review is important to the scientific process. However, the present system has been criticised and accused of bias, lack of transparency, failure to detect significant breakthrough and error. At the British Journal of Surgery (BJS), after surveying authors' and reviewers' opinions on peer review, we piloted an open online forum with the aim of improving the peer review process.<h4>Methods</h4>In December 2014, a web-based survey assessing attitudes towards open online rev ...[more]

PMID: 28662046

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Project description:Background and aimsThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic stimulated a paradigm shift in medical and surgical education from in-person teaching to online teaching. It is unclear whether an in-person or online approach to surgical teaching for medical students is superior. We aim to compare the outcomes of in-person versus online surgical teaching in generating interest in and improving knowledge of surgery in medical students. We also aim the quantify the impact of a peer-run surgical teaching course.MethodsA six-session course was developed by medical students and covered various introductory surgical topics. The first iteration was offered online to 70 UK medical students in March 2021, and the second iteration was in-person for 20 students in November 2021. Objective and subjective knowledge was assessed through questionnaires before and after each session, and also for the entire course. Data were analyzed from this mixed-methods study to compare the impact of online versus in-person teaching on surgical knowledge and engagement.ResultsStudents in both iterations showed significant improvement of 33%-282% across the six sessions in knowledge and confidence after completing the course (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the level of objective knowledge, enjoyment, or organization of the course between online and in-person groups, although the in-person course was rated as more engaging (mean Likert score 9.1 vs. 9.7, p = 0.033).DiscussionSimilar objective and subjective surgical teaching outcomes were achieved in both iterations, including in "hands-on" topics such as suturing, gowning, and gloving. Students who completed the online course did not have any lower knowledge or confidence in their surgical skills; however, the in-person course was reported to be more engaging. Surgical teaching online and in-person may be similarly effective and can be delivered according to what is most convenient for the circumstances, such as in COVID-19.

Project description:BackgroundA key factor in successfully reducing and quitting smoking, as well as preventing smoking relapse is access to and engagement with social support. Recent technological advances have made it possible for smokers to access social support via online community forums. While community forums associated with smoking cessation interventions are now common practice, there is a gap in understanding how and when the different types of social support identified by Cutrona and Suhr (1992) (emotional, esteem, informational, tangible, and network) are exchanged on such forums. Community forums that entail "superusers" (a key marker of a successful forum), like QuitNow, are ripe for exploring and leveraging promising social support exchanges on these platforms.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to characterize the posts made on the QuitNow community forum at different stages in the quit journey, and determine when and how the social support constructs are present within the posts.MethodsA total of 506 posts (including original and response posts) were collected. Using conventional content analysis, the original posts were coded inductively to generate categories and subcategories, and the responses were coded deductively according to the 5 types of social support. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel software.ResultsOverall, individuals were most heavily engaged on the forum during the first month of quitting, which then tapered off in the subsequent months. In relation to the original posts, the majority of them fit into the categories of sharing quit successes, quit struggles, updates, quit strategies, and desires to quit. Asking for advice and describing smoke-free benefits were the least represented categories. In relation to the responses, encouragement (emotional), compliment (esteem), and suggestion/advice (informational) consistently remained the most prominent types of support throughout all quit stages. Companionship (network) maintained a steady downward trajectory over time.ConclusionsThe findings of this study highlight the complexity of how and when different types of social support are exchanged on the QuitNow community forum. These findings provide directions for how social support can be more strategically employed and leveraged in these online contexts to support smoking cessation.

Dataset Information

A prospective study on an innovative online forum for peer reviewing of surgical science.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

A prospective study on an innovative online forum for peer reviewing of surgical science.

Similar Datasets

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