Background: The knowledge of scientific dishonesty is scarce and heterogeneous. Therefore this study investigates the experiences with and the attitudes towards various forms of scientific dishonesty among PhD-students at the medical faculties of all Norwegian universities.
Method: Anonymous
questionnaire distributed to all post graduate students attending introductory
PhD-courses at all medical faculties in Norway in 2010/2011. Descriptive
statistics.
Results: 189 of 262
questionnaires were returned (72.1%). 65% of the respondents had not, during
the last year, heard or read about researchers who committed scientific
dishonesty. One respondent had experienced pressure to fabricate and to falsify
data, and one had experienced pressure to plagiarize data. On average 60% of
the respondents were uncertain whether their department had a written policy
concerning scientific conduct. About 11% of the respondents had experienced
unethical pressure concerning the order of authors during the last 12 months.
10% did not find it inappropriate to report experimental data without having
conducted the experiment and 38% did not find it inappropriate to try a variety
of different methods of analysis to find a statistically significant result.
13% agreed that it is acceptable to selectively omit contradictory results to
expedite publication and 10% found it acceptable to falsify or fabricate data
to expedite publication, if they were confident of their findings. 79% agreed
that they would be willing to report misconduct to a responsible official.
Conclusion:
Although
there is less scientific dishonesty reported in Norway than in other countries,
dishonesty is not unknown to doctoral students. Some forms of scientific
misconduct are considered to be acceptable by a significant minority. There was
little awareness of relevant policies for scientific conduct, but a high level
of willingness to report misconduct.
Burr SA, Brodier E,
Wilkinson S. Delivery and use of individualised feedback in large class medical
teaching. BMC Medical Education 2013, 13:63
doi:10.1186/1472-6920-13-63
Background:
Formative
feedback that encourages self-directed learning in large class medical teaching
is difficult to deliver. This study describes a new method, blueprinted
feedback, and explores learner's responses to assess its appropriate use within
medical science teaching.
Methods: Mapping
summative assessment items to their relevant learning objectives creates a
blueprint which can be used on completion of the assessment to automatically
create a list of objectives ranked by the attainment of the individual student.
Two surveys targeted medical students in years 1, 2 and 3. The behaviour-based
survey was released online several times, with 215 and 22 responses from year
2, and 187, 180 and 21 responses from year 3. The attitude-based survey was
interviewer-administered and released once, with 22 responses from year 2 and
3, and 20 responses from year 1.
Results: 88-96% of
learners viewed the blueprinted feedback report, whilst 39% used the learning
objectives to guide further learning. Females were significantly more likely to
revisit learning objectives than males (p = 0.012). The most common reason for
not continuing learning was a 'hurdle mentality' of focusing learning elsewhere
once a module had been assessed.
Conclusions:
Blueprinted
feedback contains the key characteristics required for effective feedback so
that with further education and support concerning its use, it could become a
highly useful tool for the individual and teacher.
Stuber K, Bruno P,
Kristmanson K, Ali Z. Dietary supplement recommendations by Saskatchewan
chiropractors: results of an online survey. Chiropractic
& Manual Therapies 2013, 21:11
doi:10.1186/2045-709X-21-11
ABSTRACT
Background:
Chiropractors
receive training in nutrition during their education, previous surveys have
found that chiropractors frequently provide recommendations to patients
relating to nutrition and dietary supplement intake. However, it has not been
ascertained which specific supplements chiropractors recommend or the types of
health conditions for which supplement recommendations are made.
Objective:
The purpose
of this study was to determine which dietary supplements are most commonly
recommended by chiropractors in the province of Saskatchewan,Canada and the
health conditions for which supplement recommendations are made.
Design: An online
survey of licensed chiropractors practicing in the province of Saskatchewan,
Canada was distributed three times following online and in-person notifications
of the survey.
Statistical
analyses performed: Descriptive statistics were reported, predominantly in the form of means
and proportions.
Results: A response
rate of 45% was obtained. All of the respondents (100%) indicated providing
nutritional advice or counselling to patients, while nearly all (99%) indicated
providing dietary supplement recommendations to patients. Respondents estimated
that they provide nutritional advice or counselling to 31% of their patients on
average, and recommend dietary supplements to an average of 25% of their
patients. The most commonly recommended supplements were glucosamine sulfate,
multivitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and
probiotics. The most common reasons to recommend dietary supplements were for
“general health and wellness” (82% of respondents), “bone health” (74%),
“rheumatologic, arthritic, degenerative, or inflammatory conditions’ (72%), and
“acute and/or chronic musculoskeletal conditions” (65%).
Conclusion:
The majority
of respondents indicated providing nutritional counselling and recommendations
for dietary supplements to their patients. Respondents generally recommend a
small number of dietary supplements and provide these recommendations and
counselling to fewer than half of their patients on average, while tending to
focus on conditions most closely related to the scope of practice of
chiropractors. The findings of this study may have been limited by selection
bias owing to the low response rate and as those who respond to surveys are
often more likely to respond positively.
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