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- Schweinsberg, Martin, et al.
(author)
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Same data, different conclusions : Radical dispersion in empirical results when independent analysts operationalize and test the same hypothesis
- 2021
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In: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. - : Elsevier BV. - 0749-5978 .- 1095-9920. ; 165, s. 228-249
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this crowdsourced initiative, independent analysts used the same dataset to test two hypotheses regarding the effects of scientists' gender and professional status on verbosity during group meetings. Not only the analytic approach but also the operationalizations of key variables were left unconstrained and up to individual analysts. For instance, analysts could choose to operationalize status as job title, institutional ranking, citation counts, or some combination. To maximize transparency regarding the process by which analytic choices are made, the analysts used a platform we developed called DataExplained to justify both preferred and rejected analytic paths in real time. Analyses lacking sufficient detail, reproducible code, or with statistical errors were excluded, resulting in 29 analyses in the final sample. Researchers reported radically different analyses and dispersed empirical outcomes, in a number of cases obtaining significant effects in opposite directions for the same research question. A Boba multiverse analysis demonstrates that decisions about how to operationalize variables explain variability in outcomes above and beyond statistical choices (e.g., covariates). Subjective researcher decisions play a critical role in driving the reported empirical results, underscoring the need for open data, systematic robustness checks, and transparency regarding both analytic paths taken and not taken. Implications for orga-nizations and leaders, whose decision making relies in part on scientific findings, consulting reports, and internal analyses by data scientists, are discussed.
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- Downey, Harriet, et al.
(author)
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Training future generations to deliver evidence-based conservation and ecosystem management
- 2021
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In: Ecological Solutions and Evidence. - : Wiley. - 2688-8319. ; 2:1
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 1. To be effective, the next generation of conservation practitioners and managers need to be critical thinkers with a deep understanding of how to make evidence-based decisions and of the value of evidence synthesis.2. If, as educators, we do not make these priorities a core part of what we teach, we are failing to prepare our students to make an effective contribution to conservation practice.3. To help overcome this problem we have created open access online teaching materials in multiple languages that are stored in Applied Ecology Resources. So far, 117 educators from 23 countries have acknowledged the importance of this and are already teaching or about to teach skills in appraising or using evidence in conservation decision-making. This includes 145 undergraduate, postgraduate or professional development courses.4. We call for wider teaching of the tools and skills that facilitate evidence-based conservation and also suggest that providing online teaching materials in multiple languages could be beneficial for improving global understanding of other subject areas.
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3. |
- Scott, Whitney, et al.
(author)
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Feasibility randomized-controlled trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy for painful peripheral neuropathy in people living with HIV : The OPEN study
- 2021
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In: European Journal of Pain. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1090-3801 .- 1532-2149. ; 25:7, s. 1493-1507
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Neuropathic pain negatively affects quality of life among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined the feasibility of conducting a full-scale randomized-controlled trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy ("ACT OPEN") for neuropathic pain in PLWH. Methods Using a parallel-groups design, thirty-eight participants were randomized to ACT OPEN or a waitlist control (2:1). Participants completed standard self-report outcome measures at baseline, and two- and five-months post-randomization. Participants were aware of their allocation, but assessment was blinded. Results Twenty-five participants were randomized to ACT OPEN and 13 to the control (of 133 referrals). ACT OPEN completion was 69% and two-month trial retention was 82%. Treatment credibility and satisfaction scores for ACT OPEN were comparable to scores reported in previous trials of cognitive-behavioural treatments for pain. Four adverse events were reported during the study, including one serious adverse event; all of these were unrelated to the research procedures. Small to moderate effects and 95% confidence intervals suggest that the true effect may favour ACT OPEN for improvements in pain intensity/interference and depression. Conclusions A full-scale RCT of online ACT for pain management in PLWH may be feasible with refinements to trial design to facilitate recruitment. Significance Research on pain management in people living with HIV has primarily focused on pharmacological treatments with limited success. This is the first study to show the potential feasibility of a psychological treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy delivered online and tailored for pain management in people with HIV ("ACT OPEN"). ACT OPEN may be a promising treatment in this population and further evaluation in a full-scale randomized-controlled trial appears warranted.
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