Page 204 - Peri-implant health: the effect of implant design and surgical procedure on bone and soft tissue stability

CHAPTER 8
■ PERSONALREFLECTIONONRESEARCH
In this final paragraph of the general discussion, I want to ask attention to an article published in the Guardian in May 2015 (Will traditional science journals disappear?). This article promoted a new way of publishing, which can overcome the problems I faced in Study I and Study II. These two literature studies showed that nowadays the number of publications is high. However, the number of included studies in meta-analyses remains low. This is often related to the exclusion of many studies based on inconsistent study designs or incomplete data reporting. The article in the Guardian suggested that it could be valuable to improve research design of studies prior to the start of the study rather than criticizing studies once they have been done.
In addition, the paper pleaded for more transparency between the planned scientific approach and the exploratory analyses based on the registration of the research plan. Once the research plan is reviewed the protocol can be executed. The article highlighted two more advantages after publication of the study protocol. Firstly, the researcher can solicit collaborators for the study. This can overcome the important limitation of underpowered studies. Secondly, collaborative working or multicentre studies generally enhance the reproducibility of findings. When the study is completed, the editor could do the review by checking that the authors have followed the protocol. If the latter is done, no further review is required.
In my opinion, the advantages of publishing in this way are considerable: it brings the scientific community together, makes it more transparent, can stop the overload of studies with mediocre data analysis, and increases the power of the studies, leading to clearer answers to the research questions. Moreover, when centres work together, logistics and knowledge will be shared, resulting in high-quality studies and reduced costs for society.
202