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98
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Introduction
Additional affiliations
April 2016 - present
April 2015 - present
September 2013 - March 2015
Publications
Publications (98)
Numerous recent studies document peri-ovulatory increases in women's physical attractiveness and in their preferences for certain male traits, which appear to be linked to cyclical fluctuation in levels of ovarian hormones. Changes in physical traits are subtle, leading to the widespread conclusion that cues of ovulation are adaptively concealed. I...
Introduction and Objective: Open science (OS) aims to make the dissemination of knowledge and the research process transparent and accessible to everyone. With the increasing popularity of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (CAIM), our objective was to assess practices and perceived barriers towards OS among CAIM researchers.
Meth...
Background: Open science is a movement and set of practices to conduct research more transparently. The adoption of open science has been recognized to support innovation, equity, and transparency. The Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (Neuro) has committed to becoming an ‘open science’ institute, the first of its kind in Canada. Here we rep...
We conducted an international cross-sectional survey of biomedical researchers perspectives on the reproducibility of research. This study builds on a widely cited 2016 survey on reproducibility, and provides a biomedical-specific and contemporary perspective on reproducibility. To sample the community, we randomly selected 400 journals indexed in...
Background: Preprints are scientific manuscripts that are made available on open-access servers but are not yet peer reviewed. While preprints are becoming more prevalent uptake is not uniform or optimal. Understanding researchers' opinions and attitudes towards preprints is valuable to their successful implementation. Understanding knowledge gaps...
Introduction
Globally, the prevalence and incidence of perinatal intimate partner violence (IPV) are well documented and substantiated; however, there is an urgent need to identify interventions to prevent recurrence or revictimisation, and decrease the harms of perinatal IPV. This scoping review is designed to broadly capture all potential interve...
Background
Despite having a crucial role in scholarly publishing, peer reviewers do not typically require any training. The purpose of this study was to conduct an international survey on the current perceptions and motivations of researchers regarding peer review training.
Methods
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted of biomedical resear...
Background
Open science is a movement and set of practices to conduct research more transparently. Implementing open science will significantly improve public access and supports equity. It also has the potential to foster innovation and reduce duplication through data and materials sharing. Here, we survey an international group of researchers pub...
Objective:
To create a comprehensive list of all openly available online trainings in scholarly peer review and to analyze their characteristics.
Study design and setting:
A systematic review of online training material in scholarly peer review openly accessible between 2012 and 2022. Training characteristics were presented in evidence tables an...
Introduction: Reproducibility is a central tenant of research. We aimed to synthesize the literature on reproducibility and describe its epidemiological characteristics, including how reproducibility is defined and assessed. We also aimed to determine and compare estimates for reproducibility across different fields.
Methods: We conducted a scoping...
Reproducibility is a central tenant of research. We aimed to synthesize the literature on reproducibility and describe its epidemiological characteristics, including how reproducibility is defined and assessed. We also aimed to determine and compare estimates for reproducibility across different fields.
Reproducibility is a central tenant of research. We aimed to synthesize the literature on reproducibility and describe its epidemiological characteristics, including how reproducibility is defined and assessed. We also aimed to determine and compare estimates for reproducibility across different fields.
Reproducibility is a central tenant of research. We aimed to synthesize the literature on reproducibility and describe its epidemiological characteristics, including how reproducibility is defined and assessed. We also aimed to determine and compare estimates for reproducibility across different fields.
Background:
Scholarly journals play a key role in the dissemination of research findings. However, little focus is given to the process of establishing new, credible journals and the obstacles faced in achieving this. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe existing recommendations for starting a biomedical scholarly journal.
Methods:...
The state of open science needs to be monitored to track changes over time and identify areas to create interventions to drive improvements. In order to monitor open science practices, they first need to be well defined and operationalized. To reach consensus on what open science practices to monitor at biomedical research institutions, we conducte...
Use of rigorous study design methods and transparent reporting in publications are 2 key strategies proposed to improve the reproducibility of preclinical research. Despite promotion of these practices by funders and journals, assessments suggest uptake is low in preclinical research. Thirty preclinical scientists were interviewed to better underst...
Adherence to study registration and reporting best practices is vital to fostering evidence-based medicine. All registered clinical trials on ClinicalTrials.gov conducted in Canada as of 2009 and completed by 2019 were identified. A cross-sectional analysis of those trials assessed prospective registration, subsequent result reporting in the regist...
Background
Despite its globally accepted use in scholarly publishing, peer review is currently an unstandardized process lacking uniform guidelines. Previous surveys have demonstrated that peer reviewers, especially early career researchers, feel unprepared and undertrained to effectively conduct peer review. The purpose of this study was to conduc...
Background
Peer review is an integral part of maintaining the current standard of scientific publishing. Despite this, there is no training standard for peer reviewers and review guidelines tend to vary between journals. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of all openly available online training in scholarly peer review and...
Objectives:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent, type, and severity of spin in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in obstetrics and gynecology.
Data sources:
The top five highest impact journals in obstetrics and gynecology were systematically searched for RCTs with non-significant primary outcomes published between January 1...
Introduction
Many predatory journals fail to follow best publication practices. Studies assessing the impact of predatory journals have focused on how these articles are cited in reputable academic journals. However, it is possible that research from predatory journals is cited beyond the academic literature in policy documents and guidelines. Give...
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are widely used in preclinical and clinical research. Despite minimal criteria to define MSCs provided by the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT), concerns have been raised about inconsistent descriptions of cell products used. To address the question "How are MSCs currently defined and characteri...
Background:
Cannabis use among reproductive-aged Canadians is increasing, but our understanding of its impacts on fertility, pregnancy, and breast milk is still evolving. Despite the availability of many web-based resources, informed decision-making and patient counseling are challenging for expectant families and providers alike.
Objective:
We...
BACKGROUND
Cannabis use among reproductive-aged Canadians is increasing, but our understanding of its impacts on fertility, pregnancy, and breastmilk is still evolving. Despite the availability of many online resources, informed-decision making and patient counselling are challenging for expectant families and providers alike.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct...
Plain English summary Research teams that engage patients as partners sometimes provide compensation or payment to these patient partners for their contributions. There does not seem to be many resources that identify and tackle barriers to compensating patient partners. Based on our experiences as people who live with chronic conditions and who ar...
Background
Systematic reviews appraise and synthesize the results from a body of literature. In healthcare, systematic reviews are also used to develop clinical practice guidelines. An increasingly common concern among systematic reviews is that they may unknowingly capture studies published in “predatory” journals and that these studies will be in...
Introduction:
Despite being more than two decades of research, mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) treatments are still struggling to cross the translational gap. Two key issues that likely contribute to these failures are (1) the lack of clear definition for MSC and (2) poor quality of reporting in MSC clinical studies. To address these issues, we pro...
Introduction: Necrotizing enterocolitis is an acute inflammatory disease of the intestine that can lead to necrosis and bowel perforation. It is a severe complication of preterm birth. It’s mortality rate is up to 50% and survival after necrotizing enterocolitis leads to long-term complications. The current treatment is supportive and includes bowe...
The Canadian federal Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy has recently been released. This will require Canadian universities and other research institutes to create and share strategic plans regarding data management and to equip their researchers with skills to complete data deposits. To help maximize the success of data sharing we outline...
Introduction. Despite being more than two decades of research, Mesenchymal Stromal Cell (MSC) treatments are still struggling to cross the translational gap. Two key issues that likely contribute to these failures are i) the lack of clear definition for MSC and ii) poor quality of reporting in MSC clinical studies. To address these issues, we propo...
Plain English summary In academia, authorship on a research publication is a central means to obtain credit for one’s contribution to a research project. In order to guide authorship decision making and facilitate transparent processes, the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) has produced recommendations for authorship. These...
Background: Funded health research is being published in journals that many regard as “predatory”, deceptive, and non-credible. We do not currently know whether funders provide guidance on how to select a journal in which to publish funded health research.
Methods: We identified the largest 46 philanthropic, public, development assistance, public-p...
Background: Funded health research is being published in journals that many regard as "predatory", deceptive, and non-credible. We do not currently know whether funders provide guidance on how to select a journal in which to publish funded health research. Methods: We identified the largest 46 philanthropic, public, development assistance, public-p...
Background
Necrotizing enterocolitis is an acute inflammatory disease of the intestine that can lead to necrosis and bowel perforation. It is a severe complication of preterm birth with a prevalence of 7% in infants with a birth weight less than 1500 grams. It’s mortality rate is up to 30% and survival after necrotizing enterocolitis leads to long-...
Background: Funded health research is being published in journals that many regard as “predatory”, deceptive, and non-credible. We do not currently know whether funders provide guidance on how to select a journal in which to publish funded health research.
Methods: We identified the largest 46 philanthropic, public, development assistance, public-p...
Cell-based therapies hold promise to substantially curb complications from extreme preterm birth, the main cause of death in children below the age of 5 years. Exciting preclinical studies in experimental neonatal lung injury have provided the impetus for the initiation of early phase clinical trials in extreme preterm infants at risk of developing...
Background:
When a journal receives a duplicate publication, the ability to identify the submitted work as previously published, and reject it, is an assay to publication ethics best practices. The aim of this study was to evaluate how three different types of journals, namely open access (OA) journals, subscription-based journals, and presumed pr...
Objective
To conduct a Delphi survey informing a consensus definition of predatory journals and publishers.
Design
This is a modified three-round Delphi survey delivered online for the first two rounds and in-person for the third round. Questions encompassed three themes: (1) predatory journal definition; (2) educational outreach and policy initia...
Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship. It took 12 hours of discussion, 18 questions and 3 rounds to reach. Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship. It took 12 hours of di...
Background: Posing as legitimate open access outlets, predatory journals and publishers threaten the integrity of academic publishing by not following publication best practices. Currently, there is no agreed upon definition of predatory journals, making it difficult for funders and academic institutions to generate practical guidance or policy to...
When it comes to publishing, researchers’ stated norms for established best practices often do not align with their actual behaviour1. Consider the example of data sharing: failure to share research data when publishing is increasingly viewed as a barrier to research progress, and to contribute to waste and inefficiency2. Policies seeking to maximi...
Background
Between 1 and 5% of children in industrialized countries are conceived through Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). As infertility and the use of ART may be associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, care plans specific to these pregnancies are needed. We conducted a systematic review to examine the existing care plans specific to...
Background and purpose
Dissemination of research results is a key component of the research continuum and is commonly achieved through publication in peer-reviewed academic journals. However, issues of poor quality reporting in the research literature are well documented. A lack of formal training in journalology (i.e., publication science) may con...
Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the characteristics of these journals been delineated or agreed upon. In order to study the phenomenon precisely a definition of predatory journals is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on predatory journals, describe it...
Background: There is no standardized definition of what a predatory journal is, nor have the characteristics of these journals been delineated or agreed upon. In order to study the phenomenon precisely a definition of predatory journals is needed. The objective of this scoping review is to summarize the literature on predatory journals, describe it...
p>Predatory journals are a global and growing problem contaminating all domains of science. A coordinated response by all stakeholders (researchers, institutions, funders, regulators and patients) will be needed to stop the influence of these illegitimate journals.</p
Background
Scientific editors are responsible for deciding which articles to publish in their journals. However, we have not found documentation of their required knowledge, skills, and characteristics, or the existence of any formal core competencies for this role.
Methods
We describe the development of a minimum set of core competencies for scie...
Kelly Cobey has seen a litany of researchers preyed on by predatory journals — and has ideas on how to stop it.
Background: Scientific editors (i.e., those who make decisions on the content and policies of a journal) have a central role in the editorial process at biomedical journals. However, very little is known about the training needs of these editors or what competencies are required to perform effectively in this role.
Methods: We conducted a survey of...
The dataset is a summary of the data collected over the three rounds of the Delphi process. We considered items with 80% consensus of 4 or higher (out of 5) as "Included". and items with 90% consensus of 4.5 or higher as "Highly Ranked".
The dataset lists all of the training needs named by participants (regrouped into categories of similar items) in their respective lists of top 10 training needs from the survey of editors.
Background
The scholarly publication landscape is changing rapidly. We investigated whether the introduction of an institutional publications officer might help facilitate better knowledge of publication topics and related resources, and effectively support researchers to publish.
Methods
In September 2015, a purpose-built survey about researchers...
Description of study measures used and corresponding raw (anonymous) participant data.
Physicians and academic researchers are frequently targeted with spam invitations to submit manuscripts to predatory journals. This study was conducted to understand the nature and characteristics of these invitations. All spam e-mails received by an academic medical oncologist over a 3-month period were collected and categorized. Presumed predator...
Women who are regularly cycling exhibit different partner preferences than those who use hormonal contraception. Preliminary evidence appears to suggest that during pregnancy women's partner preferences also diverge from those prevalent while regularly cycling. This is consistent with the general assertion that women's mate preferences are impacted...
Cultural practices may either enhance or interfere with evolved preferences as predicted by culture-gene coevolution theory. Here, we investigated the impact of artificial fragrances on the assessment of biologically relevant information in human body odor. To do this, we examined cross-sensory consistency (across faces and odors) in the perception...
Background
Biomedical journals are the main route for disseminating the results of health-related research. Despite this, their editors operate largely without formal training or certification. To our knowledge, no body of literature systematically identifying core competencies for scientific editors of biomedical journals exists. Therefore, we aim...
Research on within-subject changes in women's intrasexual competitiveness has generally focused on possible relationships between women's intrasexual competitiveness and estimates of their fertility. While this approach is useful for testing hypotheses about the adaptive function of changes in women's intrasexual competitiveness, it offers little i...
How to achieve dominance in a group is a recurrent challenge for individuals
of many species, including humans. Previous research indicates that both relationship
status and contraceptive use appear to moderate women’s testosterone levels. If testosterone
contributes to dominance, this raises the possibility for group differences in
dominance betwe...
We review recent evidence that suggests that hormonal contraceptives may influence the dynamics of sexual relationships and the human pair-bond. Hormonal contraception likely has positive effects on cementing the pair-bond by decoupling sex from conception. However, changes in women's evolved mate preferences associated with initiation or discontin...
