Promoting Reproducibility and Integrity in Observational Research: One Approach of an Epidemiology Research Community.


Journal

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
ISSN: 1531-5487
Titre abrégé: Epidemiology
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 9009644

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
01 05 2023
Historique:
medline: 6 4 2023
pubmed: 1 2 2023
entrez: 31 1 2023
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

To increase research reproducibility, sharing of study data, analysis code, and use of standardized reporting are increasingly advocated. However, beyond reproducibility, few initiatives have addressed the integrity of how research is conducted before manuscripts are submitted. We describe a decades-long experience with a comprehensive approach based in an academic research community around prospective cohort studies that is aimed at promoting a culture of integrity in observational research. The approach includes prespecifying hypotheses and analysis plans, which are discussed in the research community and posted; presentation and discussion of analysis results; mandatory analysis code review by a programmer; review of concordance between analysis output and manuscripts by a technical reviewer; and checks of adherence to the process, including compliance with institutional review board requirements and reporting stipulations by the National Institutes of Health. The technical core is based in shared computing and analytic environments with long-term archiving. More than simply a list of rules, our approach promotes research integrity through integrated educational elements, making it part of the "hidden curriculum," by fostering a sense of belonging, and by providing efficiency gains to the research community. Unlike reproducibility checklists, such long-term investments into research integrity require substantial and sustained funding for research personnel and computing infrastructure. Our experiences suggest avenues for how institutions, research communities, and funders involved in observational research can strengthen integrity within the research process.

Identifiants

pubmed: 36719725
doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001599
pii: 00001648-202305000-00011
pmc: PMC10073307
mid: NIHMS1869215
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

389-395

Subventions

Organisme : NCI NIH HHS
ID : U01 CA167552
Pays : United States
Organisme : NCI NIH HHS
ID : U01 CA176726
Pays : United States
Organisme : NHLBI NIH HHS
ID : U01 HL145386
Pays : United States
Organisme : NCI NIH HHS
ID : UM1 CA186107
Pays : United States

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

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Auteurs

Konrad H Stopsack (KH)

From the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Lorelei A Mucci (LA)

From the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

Shelley S Tworoger (SS)

Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffit Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.

Jae H Kang (JH)

Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

A Heather Eliassen (AH)

From the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

Walter C Willett (WC)

From the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

Meir J Stampfer (MJ)

From the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA.

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