The Flemish Performance-based Research Funding System: A Unique Variant of the Norwegian Model

The BOF-key is the performance-based research funding system that is used in Flanders, Belgium. In this paper we describe the historical background of the system, its current design and organization, as well as its effects on the Flemish higher education landscape. The BOFkey in its current form relies on three bibliometric parameters: publications in Web of Science, citations in Web of Science, and publications in a comprehensive regional database for SSH publications. Taken together, the BOF-key forms a unique variant of the Norwegian model: while the system to a large extent relies on a commercial database, it avoids the problem of inadequate coverage of the SSH. Because the bibliometric parameters of the BOF-key are reused in other funding allocation schemes, their overall importance to the Flemish universities is substantial.

Redesigning the Model of Book Evaluation in the Polish Performance-based Research Funding System

Purpose: This study aims to present the key systemic changes in the Polish book evaluation model to focus on the publisher list, as inspired by the Norwegian Model. Design/methodology/approach: In this study we reconstruct the framework of the 2010 and 2018 models of book evaluation in Poland within the performance-based research funding system. Findings: For almost 20 years the book evaluation system in Poland has been based on the verification of various technical criteria(e.g. length of the book). The new 2018 model is based on the principle of prestige inheritance(a book is worth as much as its publisher is) and is inspired by the publisher list used in the Norwegian Model. In this paper, we argue that this solution may be a more balanced policy instrument than the previous 2010 model in which neither the quality of the publisher nor the quality of the book played any role in the evaluation.Research limitations: We work from the framework of the 2018 model of book evaluation specified in the law on higher education and science from 20 July 2018, as implementation acts are not available yet. Practical implications: This study may provide a valuable point of reference on how structural reforms in the research evaluation model were implemented on a country level. The results of this study may be interesting to policy makers, stakeholders and researchers focused on science policy. Originality/value: This is the very first study that presents the new framework of the Polish research evaluation model and policy instruments for scholarly book evaluation. We describe what motivated policy makers to change the book evaluation model, and what arguments were explicitly raised to argue for the new solution.

Intervention Research and Support Systems for People Affected by Cancer and Their Families:Results of a Descriptive Analysis

Population health intervention research(PHIR)was initiated in the field of primary prevention by proposing a research paradigm focusing on intervention and the theory of solutions.The intervention was coconstructed with the stakeholders as part of a global approach until its deployment in the local area.The development of PHIR raises the question of its application to tertiary prevention.This study proposes some initial thoughts on the similarities and specificities of PHIR projects-funded by the French National Cancer Institute(INCa)-of support systems for people affected by cancer and their families,which were based on a descriptive analysis.The selected projects were obtained from the databases of PHIR projects funded from 2010 to 2021,which included 72 projects to which the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied.A descriptive analysis was carried out for each project using the application files and the interim or final reports sent to INCa.A total of 30 projects were selected,half of which were in the public health field.Almost all of the projects involved a university–hospital partnership,and one-third involved healthcare professionals and patients in the research process.Patient involvement was classified into four types,which were linked to the supporting structure and the target population.The main themes of the projects were quality of life and adapted physical activity,which were assessed in hospitals through randomized controlled trials targeting specific cancers.Research has revealed several specificities and similarities between support systems for people affected by cancer and their families developed in PHIR projects;however,these support systems vary widely,and PHIR in tertiary prevention can be conducted in several ways.Any modeling of the systems is complicated;PHIR is evolving in its application and is the subject of research and evaluation.

Research on the performance management of the special funds in provincial colleges and universities

This paper is a comprehensive data collection and analysis of the special performance of the managed fund in provincial universities, which has very important academic value and theoretical and practical significance for the effective and rational improvement of the utilization ratio of the special funds, the specification of the management the university capitals and the ceaseless development of the education reform. It also has very important academic value and theoretical practical significance for the improvement of the financial management levels, the introduction of the evaluation results of the special funds into the budget appropriation mechanism, the refinement of the budget planning of the special funds, the improvement of the scientificalness and accuracy of the budget planning oft he special fimds, and the further strengthening of the management of the expenditure and balance of the special funds of universities, and the formulation of the scientific and effective performance evaluation methods, and the formation of the theoretical platform of the performance management evaluation.

Unequal Distribution of Innovation Efforts for Neglected Tropical Diseases: The Role of Funding Evaluation Criteria

Background: International research and innovation efforts for neglected tropical diseases have increased in recent decades due to disparities in overall health research funding in relation to global burden of disease. However, within the field of neglected tropical diseases some seem far more neglected than others. In this research the aim is to investigate the distribution of resources and efforts, as well as the mechanisms that underpin funding allocation for neglected tropical diseases. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted to establish a comprehensive overview of known indicators for innovation efforts related to a wide range of neglected tropical diseases. Articles were selected based on a subjective evaluation of their relevance, the presence of original data, and the breadth of their scope. This was followed by thirteen in-depth open-ended interviews with representatives of private, public and philanthropic funding organizations, concerning evaluation criteria for funding research proposals. Results: The findings reveal a large difference in the extent to which the individual diseases are neglected with notable differences between absolute and relative efforts. Criteria used in the evaluation of research proposals relate to potential impact, the probability of success and strategic fit. Private organizations prioritize strategic fit and economic impact;philanthropic organizations prioritize short-term societal impact;and public generally prioritize the probability of success by accounting for follow-up funding and involvement of industry. Funding decisions of different types of organizations are highly interrelated. Conclusions: This study shows that the evaluation of funding proposals introduces and retains unequal funding distribution, reinforcing the relative neglect of diseases. Societal impact is the primary rationale for funding but application of it as a funding criterion is associated with significant challenges. Furthermore, current application of evaluation criteria leads to a primary focus on short-term impact. Through current practice, the relatively most neglected diseases will remain so, and a long-term strategy is needed to resolve this.

Patients Involved in Funding Research.A Look Back at the Unique Experience of the ECLAIR Working Group of Canceropole CLARA

This article aims to share an innovative experience of organizing and funding research involving those most directly affected:patients.The“ECLAIR”working group of the Canceropole Lyon Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes(CLARA)was created at the end of 2020 with the goal of contributing to the development of a call for projects on the patient experience in oncology,which was launched in January 2021.Initially composed of 8 members,including 7 patients,coordinated by a project manager from CLARA,the ECLAIR working group actively participated in drafting the specifications of the call for projects,developing the eligibility criteria for applications,revising the evaluation and selection criteria for projects,and monitoring the selected projects.This experience was repeated twice.With significant freedom of action,the working group made two decisions that strongly demonstrate the commitment to supporting research partnerships and the active involvement of those affected:firstly,by making partnership a mandatory requirement for the eligibility of applications,and secondly,by conducting the selection of projects themselves,after an independent scientific evaluation phase.Seeking to shed light on the“black box”of partnership,the article also presents the concrete modalities of interaction among the working group members,the adjustments made between different editions of the call for projects,and the relationships maintained with CLARA.

Beyond authorship: Analyzing contributions in PLOS ONE and the challenges of appropriate attribution

Purpose:This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of authorship attributions in scientific publications,focusing on the fairness and precision of individual contributions within academic works.Design/methodology/approach:The study analyzes 81,823 publications from the journal PLOS ONE,covering the period from January 2018 to June 2023.It examines the authorship attributions within these publications to try and determine the prevalence of inappropriate authorship.It also investigates the demographic and professional profiles of affected authors,exploring trends and potential factors contributing to inaccuracies in authorship.Findings:Surprisingly,9.14%of articles feature at least one author with inappropriate authorship,affecting over 14,000 individuals(2.56%of the sample).Inappropriate authorship is more concentrated in Asia,Africa,and specific European countries like Italy.Established researchers with significant publication records and those affiliated with companies or nonprofits show higher instances of potential monetary authorship.Research limitations:Our findings are based on contributions as declared by the authors,which implies a degree of trust in their transparency.However,this reliance on self-reporting may introduce biases or inaccuracies into the dataset.Further research could employ additional verification methods to enhance the reliability of the findings.Practical implications:These findings have significant implications for journal publishers,Beyond authorship:Analyzing contributions in PLOS ONE and Maddi,A.,&the challenges of appropriate attribution highlighting the necessity for robust control mechanisms to ensure the integrity of authorship attributions.Moreover,researchers must exercise discernment in determining when to acknowledge a contributor and when to include them in the author list.Addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining the credibility and fairness of academic publications.Originality/value:This study contributes to an understanding of critical issues within academic authorship,shedding light on the prevalence and impact of inappropriate authorship attributions.By calling for a nuanced approach to ensure accurate credit is given where it is due,the study underscores the importance of upholding ethical standards in scholarly publishing.

General laws of funding for scientific citations:how citations change in funded and unfunded research between basic and applied sciences

Purpose:The goal of this study is to analyze the relationship between funded and unfunded papers and their citations in both basic and applied sciences.Design/methodology/approach:A power law model analyzes the relationship between research funding and citations of papers using 831,337 documents recorded in the Web of Science database.Findings:The original results reveal general characteristics of the diffusion of science in research fields:a)Funded articles receive higher citations compared to unfunded papers in journals;b)Funded articles exhibit a super-linear growth in citations,surpassing the increase seen in unfunded articles.This finding reveals a higher diffusion of scientific knowledge in funded articles.Moreover,c)funded articles in both basic and applied sciences demonstrate a similar expected change in citations,equivalent to about 1.23%,when the number of funded papers increases by 1%in journals.This result suggests,for the first time,that funding effect of scientific research is an invariant driver,irrespective of the nature of the basic or applied sciences.Originality/value:This evidence suggests empirical laws of funding for scientific citations that explain the importance of robust funding mechanisms for achieving impactful research outcomes in science and society.These findings here also highlight that funding for scientific research is a critical driving force in supporting citations and the dissemination of scientific knowledge in recorded documents in both basic and applied sciences.Practical implications:This comprehensive result provides a holistic view of the relationship between funding and citation performance in science to guide policymakers and R&D managers with science policies by directing funding to research in promoting the scientific development and higher diffusion of results for the progress of human society.

National Lists of Scholarly Publication Channels: An Overview and Recommendations for Their Construction and Maintenance

Purpose: This paper presents an overview of different kinds of lists of scholarly publication channels and of experiences related to the construction and maintenance of national lists supporting performance-based research funding systems. It also contributes with a set of recommendations for the construction and maintenance of national lists of journals and book publishers.Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on analysis of previously published studies, policy papers, and reported experiences related to the construction and use of lists of scholarly publication channels. Findings: Several countries have systems for research funding and/or evaluation, that involve the use of national lists of scholarly publication channels(mainly journals and publishers). Typically, such lists are selective(do not include all scholarly or non-scholarly channels) and differentiated(distinguish between channels of different levels and quality). At the same time, most lists are embedded in a system that encompasses multiple or all disciplines. This raises the question how such lists can be organized and maintained to ensure that all relevant disciplines and all types of research are adequately represented. Research limitation: The conclusions and recommendations of the study are based on the authors' interpretation of a complex and sometimes controversial process with many different stakeholders involved.Practical implications: The recommendations and the related background information provided in this paper enable mutual learning that may feed into improvements in the construction and maintenance of national and other lists of scholarly publication channels in any geographical context. This may foster a development of responsible evaluation practices.Originality/value: This paper presents the first general overview and typology of different kinds of publication channel lists, provides insights on expert-based versus metrics-based evaluation, and formulates a set of recommendations for the responsible construction and maintenance of publication channel lists.

Reliability and validation of the Arabic version of the Conditions for Workplace Effectiveness Questionnaire-Ⅱ

Objective:This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Conditions for Workplace Effectiveness Questionnaire-Ⅱ-Arabic Version(CWEQ-Ⅱ-AV),which measures structural empowerment among nurses.To enhance the usability and credibility of the CWEQ-Ⅱ among researchers within Arabicspeaking countries,a valid and reliable Arabic version of the measure is necessary.Methods:A cross-sectional research design was used.From December 2018 to June 2019,275 nurses working in 4 hospitals participated in the study.Reliability was assessed by examining internal consistency and split-half reliability.A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the factor structure of the CWEQ-Ⅱ-AV.Results:The psychometric properties of the CWEQ-Ⅱ-AV were excellent regarding the six-factor model(opportunity,information,resources,support,formal power,and informal power).The results showed the following fit indices meet the criteria set a priori:comparative fit index(CFI)=0.96,root mean square of error approximation(RMSEA)=0.06,andХ^(2)/df=2.08.Cronbach's a coefficient was 0.95 for the total questionnaire and ranged between 0.83 and 0.89 for the individual subscales.The split-half reliability was 0.91 for the total questionnaire and ranged from 0.83 to 0.87 for individual subscales.Conclusion:This study provides evidence that CWEQ-Ⅱ-AV is both a reliable and valid measure of structural empowerment among Arab nurses.

Clinical research progress of oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of dry eyes

Dry eye is a common and frequently occurring ophthalmology disease with complex etiology and easy recurrence.Oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine has the characteristicsof high curative effect and little toxic and side effect in the treatment of dry eye.This paper collates the domestic reported clinical studies on the oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of dry eye,which are discussed from four aspects:special prescription for specific disease,addition and subtraction of main prescription,treatment based on syndrome differentiation and proprietary Chinese medicine.The curative effect and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of dry eye are demonstrated,providing a reference for the treatment of dry eye in the future.

On the Preparation and Implementation of Research Budget in Agricultural Institutes

Over the years,more attention has been focused on the implementation than on the preparation of the research budget in the agricultural institutes of China,resulting in the unscientific and unreasonable budgeting of research funds. The practical implementation of the research funds has also been adversely affected. In this paper,the problems as well as the root causes of those problems in the budgeting and implementation of research funds were analyzed,and corresponding solutions and suggestions were also presented.

A Study on the Funding Management of Agricultural Scientific Research Project in the New Situation

The agricultural scientific research project funding is an important prerequisite for the implementation of agricultural scientific research project,and an essential basic condition to support agricultural research. In recent years,China has paid great attention to the development of scientific research,and increased the input of scientific research funds,but there are some shortcomings in funding management during the implementation of the project. Based on many years of practice,this paper expounds the main problems in the current funding management for agricultural scientific research project,and brings forward the relevant recommendations,in order to provide a reference for the scientific management of agricultural scientific research project funding in the new situation.

How to Optimize the Management of Science and Technology Funds in Colleges and Universities Based on the Policy of Streamlining Administration,Delegating Powers,Improving Regulation,and Strengthening Services

To advance the field of science and technology,we need to revitalize the development of science and technology through innovation.The development of science and technology has many beneficial implications on the revitalization of the country.For this reason,universities in China should give full attention to their role as the main propeller of science and technology.“Streamlining administration,delegating powers,improving regulation,and strengthening services”is a policy issued by the Chinese government for the management of science and technology funds in colleges and universities.Based on the policy of“streamlining administration,delegating powers,improving regulation,and strengthening services,”colleges and universities must optimize the management of science and technology funds for their efficient use.In this paper,we analyzed the importance of the policy and put forward an effective management strategy,aiming to improve the management of science and technology funds in colleges and universities.

Research funding and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, 2019-2020

Purpose:The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the relation between funding(a main driver for scientific research)and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in physics,chemistry and medicine over 2019-2020 and the same relation in these research fields as a whole.Design/methodology/approach:This study utilizes a power law model to explore the relationship between research funding and citations of related papers.The study here analyzes 3,539 recorded documents by Nobel Laureates in physics,chemistry and medicine and a broader dataset of 183,016 documents related to the fields of physics,medicine,and chemistry recorded in the Web of Science database.Findings:Results reveal that in chemistry and medicine,funded researches published in papers of Nobel Laureates have higher citations than unfunded studies published in articles;vice versa high citations of Nobel Laureates in physics are for unfunded studies published in papers.Instead,when overall data of publications and citations in physics,chemistry and medicine are analyzed,all papers based on funded researches show higher citations than unfunded ones.Originality/value:Results clarify the driving role of research funding for science diffusion that are systematized in general properties:a)articles concerning funded researches receive more citations than(un)funded studies published in papers of physics,chemistry and medicine sciences,generating a high Matthew effect(a higher growth of citations with the increase in the number of papers);b)research funding increases the citations of articles in fields oriented to applied research(e.g.,chemistry and medicine)more than fields oriented towards basic research(e.g.,physics).Practical implications:The results here explain some characteristics of scientific development and diffusion,highlighting the critical role of research funding in fostering citations and the expansion of scientific knowledge.This finding can support decision-making of policymakers and R&D managers to improve the effectiveness in allocating financial resources in science policies to generate a higher positive scientific and societal impact.

Applications of,and Experiences with,the Norwegian Model in Finland

The purpose of this article is to describe the development, components and properties of a publication indicator that the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland uses for allocating direct core funding annually to universities. Since 2013, 13% of the core funding has been allocated on basis of publication indicator that, like the Norwegian model, is based on comprehensive national level publication data that is currently provided by the VIRTA publication information service. In 2015, the publication indicator was complemented with other components of the Norwegian model, namely, quality-weighted publication counts based on national Publication Forum authority list of the publication channels with ratings established by experts in the field. The funding model allocates around 1.6 billion euros annually to universities with the publication indicator annually distributing over 200 million euros. Besides the funding model, the indicator provides comparable data for monitoring the research performance of Finnish universities, fields and subunits. The indicator may also be used in the universities' local funding models and research management systems, sometimes even at individual level evaluation. Positive and negative effects of the indicator have been extensively discussed and speculated. Since 2011, the Finnish universities' productivity appears to have increased in terms of both quantity and quality of publications.

Intensify standardized therapy for esophageal and stomach cancer in tumor hospitals

INTRODUCTIONCancer treatment situation in tumor hospitals inChina has its own unique characteristics which arenot found in other parts of the world. Because ofthe huge population and high incidence rates ofesophageal and stomach cancer[1-5], the number ofcancer patients waiting for admission isinconceivably large.

Contingency management strategies of the Nursing Department in centralized rescue of patients with coronavirus disease 2019

Objectives:This article aims to summarize a series of contingency management strategies of the Nursing Department in the centralized treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods:The strategies of the Nursing Department included an early warning for prevention and control,taking functions of vertically commanding and horizontally coordinating,and reasonably allocating nursing workforce,to facilitate centralized treatment work in the in-hospital fever clinic,isolation wards and ICU,and referral and admission of critical patients.Five special groups were established in charge of training and examination,management and supervision,psychological support,logistical support,and reporting and publicity,respectively.Results:It was achieved that no deaths from critical patients and no medical staff,no other patients were infected.Conclusion:Through the implementation of these strategies,safe and efficient centralized treatment was ensured timely,orderly and sustainably.

Does Monetary Support Increase the Number of Scientific Papers？ An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Purpose： One of the main indicators of scientific production is the number of papers published in scholarly journals. Turkey ranks 18th place in the world based on the number of scholarly publications. The objective of this paper is to find out if the monetary support program initiated in 1993 by the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council （TUBITAK） to incentivize researchers and increase the number, impact, and quality of international publications has been effective in doing so.Design/methodology/approach： We analyzed some 390,000 publications with Turkish affiliations listed in the Web of Science （WoS） database between 1976 and 2015 along with about 157,000 supported ones between 1997 and 2015. We used the interrupted time series （ITS） analysis technique （also known as ＂quasi-experimental time series analysis＂ or ＂intervention analysis＂） to test if TOBITAK＇s support program helped increase the number of publications. We defined ARIMA （1,1,0） model for ITS data and observed the impact of TOBiTAK＇s support program in 1994, 1997, and 2003 （after one, four and 10 years of its start, respectively）. The majority of publications （93%） were full papers （articles）, which were used as the experimental group while other types of contributions functioned as the control group. We also carried out a multiple regression analysis.Findings： TUBITAK＇s support program has had negligible effect on the increase of the number of papers with Turkish affiliations. Yet, the number of other types of contributions continued to increase even though they were not well supported, suggesting that TUBITAK＇s support program is probably not the main factor causing the increase in the number of papers with Turkish affiliations. Research limitations： Interrupted time series analysis shows if the ＂intervention＂ has had any significant effect on the dependent variable but it does not explain what caused the increase in the number of papers if it was not the intervention. Moreover, except the＂intervention＂, other ＂event（s）＂ that might affect the time series data （e.g., increase in the number of research personnel over the years） should not occur during the period of analysis, a prerequisite that is beyond the control of the researcher. Practical implications： TUBITAK＇s ＂cash-for-publication＂ program did not seem to have direct impact on the increase of the number of papers published by Turkish authors, suggesting that small amounts of payments are not much of an incentive for authors to publish more. It might perhaps be a better strategy to concentrate limited resources on a few high impact projects rather than to disperse them to thousands of authors as ＂micropayments.＂ Originality/value： Based on 25 years＇ worth of payments data, this is perhaps one of the first large-scale studies showing that ＂cash-for-publication＂ policies or ＂piece rates＂ paid to researchers tend to have little or no effect on the increase of researchers＇ productivity. The main finding of this paper has some implications for countries wherein publication subsidies are used as an incentive to increase the number and quality of papers published in international journals. They should be prepared to consider reviewing their existing support programs （based usually on bibliometric measures such as journal impact factors） and revising their reward policies.

A study of the relationship between nurses'experience,structural empowerment,and attitudes toward computer use

Objective:This study examined the relationship between structural empowerment and nurses’experience and attitudes toward computer use.Methods:This study was conducted using a cross-sectional quantitative design.A total of 184 registered nurses from four hospitals in Jordan participated in the current study.Data were collected using a demographics questionnaire,the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II(CWEQ-II),and the Pretest for Attitudes toward Computers in Healthcare(PATCH).Results:The median of experience in years among nurses was 5.0,ranging from one to 26 years.The mean score for the attitudes toward computer use was 61.90±11.38.Almost half of the participants,45.11%,were in the category of“feel comfortable using user-friendly computers.”The participants’mean average of the total structural empowerment was 12.40±2.43,and the values for its four subscales were:opportunity 3.57±0.87,resources 2.83±0.85,information 3.06±0.79,and support 2.95±0.86.The frequencies analysis revealed that most participants had a moderate level of empowerment(n¼127,69.02%).The bivariate correlation between nurses’experience and attitudes toward computer use was significant(r¼0.17,P<0.05).The relationship between the total structural empowerment score and attitudes toward computer use was positive but weak(r¼0.20,P<0.01).Conclusion:The results indicated that more experienced nurses are more reluctant toward computer use.However,creating an empowering work environment can facilitate nurses’attitudes toward computer use.