Acknowledgements are not just thank you notes: A qualitative analysis of acknowledgements content in scientific articles and reviews published in 2015.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Paul-Hus A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6922370 | biostudies-literature | 2019
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Acknowledgements are not just thank you notes: A qualitative analysis of acknowledgements content in scientific articles and reviews published in 2015.
Paul-Hus Adèle A Desrochers Nadine N
PloS one 20191219 12
Acknowledgements in scientific articles can be described as miscellaneous, their content ranging from pre-formulated financial disclosure statements to personal testimonies of gratitude. To improve understanding of the context and various uses of expressions found in acknowledgements, this study analyses their content qualitatively. The most frequent noun phrases from a Web of Science acknowledgements corpus were analysed to generate 13 categories. When 3,754 acknowledgement sentences were manua ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:To assist the pharmacy clinician engaged in nutrition support in staying current with the most pertinent literature.Several experienced board-certified clinical pharmacists engaged in nutrition support therapy compiled a list of articles published in 2014 and 2015 that they considered to be important to their practice. Only those articles available in print format were considered for potential inclusion. Articles available only in preprint electronic format were not evaluated. The citation list was compiled into a single spreadsheet where the author participants were asked to ascertain whether they considered the paper important to nutrition support pharmacy practice. A culled list of publications was then identified whereby the majority of author participants (at least 5 out of 8) considered the paper to be important.A total of 108 articles were identified; 36 of which were considered to be of high importance. An important guideline article published in early 2016, but not ranked, was also included. The top-ranked articles from the primary literature were reviewed.It is recommended that the informed pharmacist, who is engaged in nutrition support therapy, be familiar with the majority of these articles.
| S-EPMC4981102 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundEven after the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) found that the risks of menopausal hormone therapy (hormone therapy) outweighed benefit for asymptomatic women, about half of gynecologists in the United States continued to believe that hormones benefited women's health. The pharmaceutical industry has supported publication of articles in medical journals for marketing purposes. It is unknown whether author relationships with industry affect promotional tone in articles on hormone therapy. The goal of this study was to determine whether promotional tone could be identified in narrative review articles regarding menopausal hormone therapy and whether articles identified as promotional were more likely to have been authored by those with conflicts of interest with manufacturers of menopausal hormone therapy.Methods and findingsWe analyzed tone in opinion pieces on hormone therapy published in the four years after the estrogen-progestin arm of the WHI was stopped. First, we identified the ten authors with four or more MEDLINE-indexed reviews, editorials, comments, or letters on hormone replacement therapy or menopausal hormone therapy published between July 2002 and June 2006. Next, we conducted an additional search using the names of these authors to identify other relevant articles. Finally, after author names and affiliations were removed, 50 articles were evaluated by three readers for scientific accuracy and for tone. Scientific accuracy was assessed based on whether or not the findings of the WHI were accurately reported using two criteria: (1) Acknowledgment or lack of denial of the risk of breast cancer diagnosis associated with hormone therapy, and (2) acknowledgment that hormone therapy did not benefit cardiovascular disease endpoints. Determination of promotional tone was based on the assessment by each reader of whether the article appeared to promote hormone therapy. Analysis of inter-rater consistency found moderate agreement for scientific accuracy (κ=0.57) and substantial agreement for promotional tone (κ=0.65). After discussion, readers found 86% of the articles to be scientifically accurate and 64% to be promotional in tone. Themes that were common in articles considered promotional included attacks on the methodology of the WHI, arguments that clinical trial results should not guide treatment for individuals, and arguments that observational studies are as good as or better than randomized clinical trials for guiding clinical decisions. The promotional articles we identified also implied that the risks associated with hormone therapy have been exaggerated and that the benefits of hormone therapy have been or will be proven. Of the ten authors studied, eight were found to have declared payment for speaking or consulting on behalf of menopausal hormone manufacturers or for research support (seven of these eight were speakers or consultants). Thirty of 32 articles (90%) evaluated as promoting hormone therapy were authored by those with potential financial conflicts of interest, compared to 11 of 18 articles (61%) by those without such conflicts (p=0.0025). Articles promoting the use of menopausal hormone therapy were 2.41 times (95% confidence interval 1.49-4.93) as likely to have been authored by authors with conflicts of interest as by authors without conflicts of interest. In articles from three authors with conflicts of interest some of the same text was repeated word-for-word in different articles.ConclusionThere may be a connection between receiving industry funding for speaking, consulting, or research and the publication of promotional opinion pieces on menopausal hormone therapy.
| S-EPMC3058057 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by an unprecedented amount of published scientific articles. The aim of this study is to assess the type of articles published during the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare them with articles published during 2009 H1N1 swine influenza pandemic. Two operators independently extracted and assessed all articles on COVID-19 and on H1N1 swine influenza that had an abstract and were indexed in PubMed during the first 3 months of these pandemics. Of the 2482 articles retrieved on COVID-19, 1165 were included. Over half of them were secondary articles (590, 50.6%). Common primary articles were: human medical research (340, 59.1%), in silico studies (182, 31.7%) and in vitro studies (26, 4.5%). Of the human medical research, the vast majority were observational studies and cases series, followed by single case reports and one randomized controlled trial. Secondary articles were mainly reviews, viewpoints and editorials (373, 63.2%). Limitations were reported in 42 out of 1165 abstracts (3.6%), with 10 abstracts reporting actual methodological limitations. In a similar timeframe, there were 223 articles published on the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. During the COVID-19 pandemic there was a higher prevalence of reviews and guidance articles and a lower prevalence of in vitro and animal research studies compared with the H1N1 pandemic. In conclusions, compared to the H1N1 pandemic, the majority of early publications on COVID-19 does not provide new information, possibly diluting the original data published on this disease and consequently slowing down the development of a valid knowledge base on this disease. Also, only a negligible number of published articles reports limitations in the abstracts, hindering a rapid interpretation of their shortcomings. Researchers, peer reviewers, and editors should take action to flatten the curve of secondary articles.
| S-EPMC7380499 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Bridging the gap between local and scientific knowledge can have useful implications in the teaching-learning process because it can create environments conducive to the valorization of sociocultural diversity in schools. The present review aims to analyze the profile and contributions of scientific publications dealing with articulations between local and scientific knowledge in basic formal education. METHOD:Combined searches of 14 terms related to ethnoscience and 20 terms of education were conducted in English, Portuguese, and Spanish using the databases of Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Scielo. The recovered works were filtered, organized in a spreadsheet, and analyzed for publication characteristics (year, author, periodicals, countries of origin of the authors, and countries surveyed) and contents of the studies (epistemological bases, techniques of application, and record of the articulation of local and scientific knowledge). RESULTS:The research field that establishes these articulations is growing, with 81% of the works being written in the English language. A total of 494 researchers were recorded. The USA, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, and Australia were the countries of origin of the first author for the majority (64%) of the works considered. Multiculturalism, Vygotskian theory of learning, postcolonial theory, constructivism, critical pedagogy, and the argumentation theory were the main theoretical bases of half of the recovered works in which some explicit theoretical orientation could be found. Teacher training and interviews stood out as important tools in the application and record of links between local and scientific knowledge, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Interdisciplinary approaches were common in the conception and application of pedagogical activities reported in the recovered works. Articulations between local and scientific knowledge are effective for culturally-sensitive scientific education, especially (but not exclusively) in schools directly related to traditional communities. There was a tendency to emphasize the teacher as a fundamental agent in the search for education that establishes these articulations. The authors of the analyzed works frequently indicated a need for greater proximity of the community to school spaces.
| S-EPMC7201971 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and objectivesIn 2019, two Canadian provinces became the first jurisdictions in North America to pass deemed consent legislation to increase deceased organ donation and transplantation rates. We sought to explore the perspectives of the deemed consent legislation for organ donation in Canada from the viewpoint of individuals commenting on press articles.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsIn this qualitative descriptive study, we extracted public comments regarding deemed consent from online articles published by four major Canadian news outlets between January 2019 and July 2020. A total of 4357 comments were extracted from 35 eligible news articles. Comments were independently analyzed by two research team members using a conventional content analysis approach.ResultsCommenters' perceptions of the deemed consent legislation for organ donation in Canada predominantly fit within three organizational groups: perceived positive implications of the bills, perceived negative implications of the bills, and key considerations. Three themes emerged within each group that summarized perspectives of the proposed legislation. Themes regarding the perceived positive implications of the bills included majority rules, societal effect, and prioritizing donation. Themes regarding the perceived negative implications of the bills were a right to choose, the potential for abuse and errors, and a possible slippery slope. Improving government transparency and communication, clarifying questions and addressing concerns, and providing evidence for the bills were identified as key considerations.ConclusionsIf deemed consent legislation is meant to increase organ donation and transplantation, addressing public concerns will be important to ensure successful implementation.
| S-EPMC9718046 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundTracking and visualizing health data using mobile apps can be an effective self-management strategy for mental health conditions. However, little evidence is available to guide the design of mental health-tracking mechanisms.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to analyze the content of user reviews of depression self-management apps to guide the design of data tracking and visualization mechanisms for future apps.MethodsWe systematically reviewed depression self-management apps on Google Play and iOS App stores. English-language reviews of eligible apps published between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021, were extracted from the app stores. Reviews that referenced health tracking and data visualization were included in sentiment and qualitative framework analyses.ResultsThe search identified 130 unique apps, 26 (20%) of which were eligible for inclusion. We included 783 reviews in the framework analysis, revealing 3 themes. Impact of app-based mental health tracking described how apps increased reviewers' self-awareness and ultimately enabled condition self-management. The theme designing impactful mental health-tracking apps described reviewers' feedback and requests for app features during data reporting, review, and visualization. It also described the desire for customization and contexts that moderated reviewer preference. Finally, implementing impactful mental health-tracking apps described considerations for integrating apps into a larger health ecosystem, as well as the influence of paywalls and technical issues on mental health tracking.ConclusionsApp-based mental health tracking supports depression self-management when features align with users' individual needs and goals. Heterogeneous needs and preferences raise the need for flexibility in app design, posing challenges for app developers. Further research should prioritize the features based on their importance and impact on users.
| S-EPMC9730209 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe delivery of mobile health (mHealth) services is acceptable to mental health consumers. However, despite the benefits of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, anonymity, and ability to tailor content to individual needs, consumer engagement remains a hurdle for uptake and continued use. This may be unsurprising as few studies have examined app content from the consumer perspective or assessed consumer preferences for the content of apps for mental health management. An opportunity to examine consumer perspectives exists in using naturally generated data that is publically available in the Google Play and Apple app stores. Whereas commercial developers routinely use this data, to date there has been no in-depth evaluation within scientific research.ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to explore what consumers consider useful content for mental health management apps, identify unmet needs, and understand user expectations of mental health apps within the context of apps for bipolar disorder.MethodsPublically available English language consumer reviews of 48 apps for bipolar disorder were used as data, providing a total of 2173 reviews. Review text was coded and analyzed using a team approach to qualitative content analysis. Results were presented in 2 forms: (1) a quantitative summary of the 9 major and minor themes and (2) a qualitative synthesis of key thematic findings.ResultsThe majority of reviews were for symptom monitoring apps (87.94%, 1911/2173). The qualitative content analysis revealed 5 main themes: (1) laudatory talk, comments regarding the app's benefits including helpfulness and successful design features (74.00% of reviews, 1608/2173); (2) unfavorable feedback, negative reviews largely concerning unmet needs, privacy and technical issues, and potential dangers of app use (25.54%, 555/2173); (3) conceptions of community, referring to both communities of users with mental ill-health accessed via the app and a community created among app users and developers (24.25%, 527/2173); (4) wishlist features, app features requested by users (17.53%, 381/2173); and (5) apps and therapy, app use within clinical care (10.58%, 230/2173). Four minor themes were also identified: (1) app cost, (2) privacy and data security, (3) comparisons with traditional monitoring, and (4) evidence-based mHealth.ConclusionsAlthough mostly positive, the proportion of reviews containing wishlist requests indicates consumer needs are not adequately addressed by currently available disorder management apps. Consumers value content that is helpful, supportive, and easy to use, and they are integrating apps into their health management and clinical care without necessarily considering the evidence-base or clinical effectiveness of the tool. User expectations regarding developer responsiveness to their needs has implications for community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation. However, this expectation is incompatible with current mHealth funding structures.
| S-EPMC5400886 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The skill of analyzing and interpreting research data is central to the scientific process, yet it is one of the hardest skills for students to master. While instructors can coach students through the analysis of data that they have either generated themselves or obtained from published articles, the burgeoning availability of preprint articles provides a new potential pedagogical tool. We developed a new method in which students use a cognitive apprenticeship model to uncover how experts analyzed a paper and compare the professional's cognitive approach to their own. Specifically, students first critique research data themselves and then identify changes between the preprint and final versions of the paper that were likely the results of peer review. From this activity, students reported diverse insights into the processes of data presentation, peer review, and scientific publishing. Analysis of preprint articles is therefore a valuable new tool to strengthen students' information literacy and understanding of the process of science.
| S-EPMC8691640 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We conducted a qualitative content analysis of health science literature (N = 100) involving qualitative interviews or focus groups. Given recent data sharing mandates, our goal was to characterize the nature of relationships between the researchers and participants to inform ethical deliberations regarding qualitative data sharing and secondary analyses. Specifically, some researchers worry that data sharing might harm relationships, while others claim that data cannot be analyzed absent meaningful relationships with participants. We found little evidence of relationship building with participants. The majority of studies involve single encounters (95%), lasting less than 60 min (59%), with less than half of authors involved in primary data collection. Our findings suggest that relationships with participants might not pose a barrier to sharing some qualitative data collected in the health sciences and speak to the feasibility in principle of secondary analyses of these data.
| S-EPMC10888521 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Scientific articles often contain relevant geographic information such as where field work was performed or where patients were treated. Most often, this information appears in the full-text article contents as a description in natural language including place names, with no accompanying machine-readable geographic metadata. Automatically extracting this geographic information could help conduct meta-analyses, find geographical research gaps, and retrieve articles using spatial search criteria. Research on this problem is still in its infancy, with many works manually processing corpora for locations and few cross-domain studies. In this paper, we develop a fully automatic pipeline to extract and represent relevant locations from scientific articles, applying it to two varied corpora. We obtain good performance, with full pipeline precision of 0.84 for an environmental corpus, and 0.78 for a biomedical corpus. Our results can be visualized as simple global maps, allowing human annotators to both explore corpus patterns in space and triage results for downstream analysis. Future work should not only focus on improving individual pipeline components, but also be informed by user needs derived from the potential spatial analysis and exploration of such corpora.
| S-EPMC7787447 | biostudies-literature