The COVID-19 pandemic has “paused” many clinical trials. Moreover, it also delayed potential medical treatment for many diseases. There was a substantial shift in resources such as healthcare facilities and staff, to help COVID-19 patients. Eventually, with “stay-at-home” restrictions, trials in-pro
In Part I of this series, the concept of ‘study designs’ was introduced and the important terminologies were discussed. In this article, we look at the strategy to choose the appropriate study design.A good research study design ensures there is quality, logical execution and meaningful interpretati
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every industry, around the world. The academic publishing industry is no exception. Whether it is dealing with the sudden change in research priorities, or the influx of COVID-focused articles, publishers have been forced to adapt – and fast.The pandemic has
Study designs are of utmost importance in research. Right from ideation to testing the hypothesis, researchers need to plan and develop a strategy that aptly fits their experimental goals. Although scheming a study is an exciting process, it is often challenging as well. Many factors such as financi
Whether it’s the car you drive, the computer you’re reading this article on, or the vaccine that kept your child from getting measles this year, one thing is clear—science has been our pillar of strength. Scientific research has always been the cornerstone of the modern world and solves real-world p
During the COVID-19 pandemic, new research is being published more quickly than ever before. Getting new research results out there as soon as possible has clear benefits. Important discoveries can be shared with researchers and the general public around the world; at its best, this will aid efforts
That sinking feeling in your stomach when you realize the cell lines you have been working on were not the ones you thought. You discovered there was a labeling error. The conclusions of your experiments, which you published in a paper, are incorrect. You realize the ramifications: you have unintent
How are you coping with lockdown during this pandemic? Like many people, I have had good days and bad days. Compared to many others, I have been lucky. I am well, I still have a job and I have a comfortable place to spend the lockdown.Recently, during a Zoom catch-up, I asked some of my colleagues –
Imagine you are a young, keen PhD student. Deep in the research for your thesis, you decide to take a break by browsing the latest news in your field. That’s when you spot a story on article topic similar to your own research: the paper has been retracted by the journal due to scientific misconduct.
Patents have two purposes: awarding rights to the inventor and preventing others from claiming ownership. In research, patents encourage innovation by ensuring that work focuses on new ideas. Patent searching can help researchers to avoid wasting valuable time and money on unoriginal work. This is v
Recently I walked past my colleague’s office and noticed he was laughing. I asked him what was so funny.“I am reading about an authorship story of ‘Stronzo Bestiale’,” he chuckled. “Apparently, a US physicist (William Hoover) was struggling to publish his research in the 1980s. He overheard two Ital
You can also listen to this article as an audio recording. “Do you have a conflict of interest?” is a question most researchers are used to answering. In science, all good journals ask authors to declare any conflict of interest. Basically, a conflict of interest is any situation where a person hold
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, it is shadowed by another “disease”: misinformation. Fuelled by both traditional and social media, misinformation presents a new kind of threat. The COVID-19 pandemic is the first since the rise of social media, meaning that misinformation can sprea
Research, reproducibility and reliability. These three words are key when it comes to good science. As scientists, we strive to prove that our results are significantly different. My colleague often wished for a “Journal of Negative Results”, one which published the experiments that didn’t work. Thi
In academia, your reputation as a scientist depends on the quality and quantity of your publications as well as the number of citations. Citations give recognition to the scientist who discovered a finding and was the first to publish it. Therefore, the number of researchers who cite your work in th
The recent coronavirus outbreak has made headlines across the globe, with millions under quarantine in China and fears spreading as the death toll rises. The virus, which originated in a live animal market in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has infected a total of 66,000 with 1,523 deaths as of Februa
You can also listen to this article as an audio recording. Academic integrity is a serious issue in the research community. It ensures that the scientists remain dedicated to producing original research and ideas that lead to scientific breakthroughs. Therefore, they need to be diligent in keeping s
Yes, you understood correctly…a lottery system to award grant funding to academic researchers. Any academic researcher is aware of the competitive nature of grant funding. However, traditionally one was awarded grant funding after proving that you are a reputable scientist and the best candidate for
Most researchers would say that plagiarism is never acceptable. They would probably also agree that some types of plagiarism are more serious than others. For example, complete plagiarism is where someone takes a project or paper created by someone else and presents it as their own. This is consider
You can also listen to this article as an audio recording. Scientific misconduct is a common topic of debate in the academic world. Scientific publications are often the target. Plagiarism, ghost writing or problems with the peer review process are all problems that highlight the clash between resea
Peer review is the heart of the academic publishing industry and is extremely important to maintain the excellency of the published scholarly literature. However, with the rapid rise in the number of cases reported for ethical violations due to pressure to publish, predatory journals, fake peer revi
The work that scientists do is vital in many ways. It helps society progress in the fields of medicine, climate change, physics, and beyond. Unfortunately, scientific misconduct is on the rise. So, the issues of scientific fraud and data fabrication need serious consideration. To prevent a negative
You can also listen to this article as an audio recording. Research in China has grown exponentially over the past two decades. The USD 9.1 billion investment that China made available for R&D in 1991 is paying off. This is evident by the massive increase in scientific publications produced by China
Research misconduct describes a wide variety of immoral behaviors, including corrupt or unethical research methods, denying or claiming unfair authorship, plagiarism, data falsification and fabrication, and fraud. This article features a conversation between researchers who discuss what misconduct l