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bioRxiv2021

Paper-and-pencil questionnaires analysis: a new automated technique to reduce analysis time and errors.

Background and ObjectiveQuestionnaires are essential tools in many scientific fields, including health and medicine. However, the analysis of paper-and-pencil questionnaires is time consuming, source of errors and expensive, limiting its use in large cohort studies. Computer-based questionnaires might be a valuable alternative but they may introduce bias, especially for sensitive questions, and they require programming skills. The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and adaptable open-source technique (i.e. LightQuest) to automatically analyse various types of scanned paper-and-pencil questionnaires with closed questions, including those with inverted scale. MethodsTo evaluate the usefulness of LightQuest, the time needed for 7 experimenters for manually code 10 sets of 4 frequently used questionnaires and the number of errors (i.e. reliability) were compared with the time and errors their made using LightQuest. ResultsLightQuest was twice as fast as the manual analysis, even though the time to create the reference model was taken into account (933s vs. 1935s, t(2)=8.81, p<0.001). Without model creation, the reduced analysis time was more pronounced, with an average of 2.77s.question-1 for the manual technique versus 0.55s.question-1 for LightQuest (t(2)=22.5, p<0.001). Moreover, during correction of the 5180 questions performed by the 7 experimenters, LightQuest made a total of 2 errors versus 46 with the manual technique (q(2)=4.53, p<0.05). ConclusionLightQuest demonstrated clear superiority both in terms of time and reliability. The script of this first open-source technique, which does not require programming skills, is downloadable in supplemental data and may become an asset for all studies using questionnaires.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

scite: a smart citation index that displays the context of citations and classifies their intent using deep learning

Citation indices are tools used by the academic community for research and research evaluation which aggregate scientific literature output and measure scientific impact by collating citation counts. Citation indices help measure the interconnections between scientific papers but fall short because they only display paper titles, authors, and the date of publications, and fail to communicate contextual information about why a citation was made. The usage of citations in research evaluation without due consideration to context can be problematic, if only because a citation that disputes a paper is treated the same as a citation that supports it. To solve this problem, we have used machine learning and other techniques to develop a "smart citation index" called scite, which categorizes citations based on context. Scite shows how a citation was used by displaying the surrounding textual context from the citing paper, and a classification from our deep learning model that indicates whether the statement provides supporting or disputing evidence for a referenced work, or simply mentions it. Scite has been developed by analyzing over 23 million full-text scientific articles and currently has a database of more than 800 million classified citation statements. Here we describe how scite works and how it can be used to further research and research evaluation.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

A biomechanical comparison of the jerk, back jerk, vertical jump and jump squat.

Although weightlifting exercises and their pulling and catching derivatives have been well studied, less is known about the group of weightlifting overhead pressing derivatives (WOPDs). There were two purposes of the present study. Above all, it was to compare WOPDs (i.e. jerk and back jerk) with jump squat in enhancing sport performance such as vertical jump in the perspective of biomechanics. Furthermore, it was to gain a better understanding of the biomechanical difference between jerk and back jerk. The study compared the kinetics, kinematics, and muscle activation of the jerk, back jerk, vertical jump and jump squat. Ground reaction forces, joint angle data and electromyography were collected from 20 track and field athletes while they performed the four movements. The joint coordination pattern and EMG characters of the jump squat were more similar to those of the vertical jump. WOPDs, especially jerk, exhibited less similarity with vertical jump in joint coordination, as well as the subsequent peak activation. The electromyography data demonstrated significant differences in rectus femoris and gluteus maximus in the relative timing of peak activations and the maximum activation. Jump squat was greater in peak force (2211N) than jerk (P < .005), greater peak power (4749W) than jerk and back jerk (P < .001) and no significant difference with WOPDs in rate of force development. Back jerk produced a greater peak force (2223 N), peak power (3767W) and eccentric RFD (15965 N{middle dot}s-1) than jerk (2061N)(P < .001) (3364W)(P < .05) (12280 N{middle dot}s-1)(P < .01)and the opposite in concentric RFD that jerk (7702 N{middle dot}s-1) was greater than back jerk (5972 N{middle dot}s-1)(P < .05). We can conclude that for runner and jumpers, jump squat was better for improving vertical jump than WOPDs and back jerk is better than jerk in power training.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Inferring livestock movement networks from archived data to support infectious disease control in developing countries

The use of network analysis to support livestock disease control in low middle-income countries (LMICs) has historically been hampered by the cost of generating empirical data in the absence of animal movement recording schemes. To fill this gap, methods which exploit freely available demographic and archived molecular data can be used to generate livestock networks based on gravity and phylogeographic modelling techniques, respectively. However, questions remain on the performance of these methods in capturing the topology of empirical networks. Here, we compare output from these network methodologies to a network constructed from either empirical data or randomly generated data. To facilitate this comparison, the spread of infectious diseases was simulated, it is this evaluation that demonstrates their potential utility to inform robust livestock disease control strategies. The molecular network was the closest approximation to the empirical network, both in relation to topological and epidemic characteristics, whereas size of epidemics in the gravity network tended to be larger, better agreement across all three networks was observed when; a) total nodes infected, b) percentage infection take off were compared. These methods consistently identified the same important animal movement and trade hotspots as the empirical networks. We therefore consider this proof-of-concept that demographic data such as censuses and archived molecular data could be repurposed to inform livestock disease management in LMICs. Author summaryLive animal movements in Africa represent a significant risk of transmission and spread of infectious diseases in livestock populations, and therefore, have direct implications on the food security of the continent. Here we explore the potential utility of available data to support control strategies, by comparing movement networks inferred from such data i.e. census and pathogen molecular data using gravity modelling and phylogeography respectively. Their utility is evaluated by comparing their topology and disease spread characteristics to empirical live animal movement. Based on our results, we posit that archived data can be repurposed to support infectious disease control on the African continent.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Sysrev: A FAIR Platform For Data Curation And Systematic Evidence Review

AbstractWell-curated datasets are essential to evidence based decision making and to the integration of artificial intelligence with human reasoning across disciplines. However, many sources of data remain siloed, unstructured, and/or unavailable for complementary and secondary research. Sysrev was developed to address these issues. First, Sysrev was built to aid in systematic evidence reviews (SER), where digital documents are evaluated according to a well defined process, and where Sysrev provides an easy to access, publicly available and free platform for collaborating in SER projects. Secondly, Sysrev addresses the issue of unstructured, siloed, and inaccessible data in the context of generalized data extraction, where human and machine learning algorithms are combined to extract insights and evidence for better decision making across disciplines. Sysrev uses FAIR - Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets - as primary principles in design. Sysrev was developed primarily because of an observed need to reduce redundancy, reduce inefficient use of human time and increase the impact of evidence based decision making. This publication is an introduction to Sysrev as a novel technology, with an overview of the features, motivations and use cases of the tool. MethodsSysrev.com is a FAIR motivated web platform for data curation and SER. Sysrev allows users to create data curation projects called "sysrevs" wherein users upload documents, define review tasks, recruit reviewers, perform review tasks, and automate review tasks. ConclusionSysrev is a web application designed to facilitate data curation and SERs. Thousands of publicly accessible Sysrev projects have been created, accommodating research in a wide variety of disciplines. Described use cases include data curation, managed reviews, and SERs.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Reducing publication delay to improve the efficiency and impact of conservation science

Evidence-based decision making is most effective with comprehensive access to scientific studies. If studies face delays or barriers to being published, the useful information they contain may not reach decision-makers in a timely manner. This represents a potential problem for mission-oriented disciplines where access to the latest data is paramount to ensure effective actions are deployed. We sought to analyse the severity of publication delay in conservation science -- a field that requires urgent action to prevent the loss of biodiversity. We used the Conservation Evidence database to assess the length of publication delay (time from finishing data collection to publication) in the literature that tests the effectiveness of conservation interventions. From 7,415 peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies of conservation interventions published over eleven decades, we find that the mean publication delay (time from completing data collection to publication) was 3.6 years and varied by conservation subject -- a smaller delay was observed for studies focussed on the management of captive animals. Publication delay was significantly smaller for studies in the non-journal literature (typically non-peer-reviewed) compared to studies published in scientific journals. Although we found publication delay has marginally increased over time (1912-2020), this change was weak post-1980s. Publication delay also varied inconsistently between studies on species with different IUCN Red List statuses and there was little evidence that studies on more threatened species were subject to a smaller delay. We discuss the possible drivers of publication delay and present suggestions for scientists, funders, publishers, and practitioners to reduce the time taken to publish studies. Although our recommendations are aimed at conservation science, they are highly relevant to other mission-driven disciplines where the rapid dissemination of scientific findings is important.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Are some commercial diets inadequate in essential nutrients?

BackgroundCommercial manufacturers have formulated diets to promote not only weight reduction but also to reduce risks of chronic diseases. The objective of this study is to determine if these formulations satisfy requirements for essential nutrients. MethodsWe have selected two established commercial diets, one low fat, high carbohydrate (diet 1) and the other, high fat, low carbohydrate (diet 2) and determined "representative meals" through use of recipes suggested in the manufacturers manuals. Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software has been used to perform the most extensive nutrient analysis to date of these diets. Tables report macronutrients (energy), vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, essential lipids and nutrient-related components for a total of 62entries. ResultsDiet 1 satisfied requirements for 50 of these (81%) with only vitamin B12, vitamin D, and essential fatty acids not reaching recommended levels, while fiber and glycemic load exceeded suggested values. Diet 2 satisfied requirements for 46 of the components (71%) but had excess percentage of fat, especially saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol as well as decreased percentage of carbohydrate resulting in suboptimal intake of B-complex vitamins (B1, niacin and total folate) as well as fiber. ConclusionsNeither diet satisfied adequacy for all reported nutrients. However, based on nutrient content alone diet 1, if supplemented or modified, could be sustained over the long term whereas diet 2 should not be encouraged for long term adaptation

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Case based learning as a dynamic approach towards learning oral pathology.

IntroductionOral pathology comprises of extensive teaching-learning of histopathology. Teaching histopathology is always challenging more when numerous histopathology slides are involved. There is lack of interest among the students and also face challenges to correlate with the clinical presentation. For effective learning, need for a method which is interactive and helps create clinico pathological correlation was felt. This study was designed to assess the impact and feasibility of case-based learning in routine teaching among dental students. MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted among 58 undergraduate dental students, wherein a case-based learning method was introduced in the practical classes. Thirty students were randomly selected as case based learning and remaining as conventional group. Multiple paper-based cases on oral cancer was designed and used for the case based learning group of students. A self-designed pre and posttest interventional tools along with post intervention assessment using modified essay question was designed and applied. ResultsSignificant difference in the scores between pre and post intervention questionnaire was observed among the case-based learning group (p<0.0001), however non-significant among the conventional. Similarly, significant difference in the scores of modified essay question was observed between the study groups. Majority of the students among the case-based learning group agreed that it benefitted their personal, professional and communicative skills. The students expressed their enthusiasm in learning with this method and suggested to apply it more often. DiscussionCase-based learning is an effective method and incorporation of it on a regular basis could help favor an effective learning environment.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Sex and Gender Considerations in Reporting Guidelines of Health Research: A Systematic Review

BackgroundDespite growing recognition of the importance of sex and gender considerations in health research, they are rarely integrated into research design and reporting. We sought to assess the integration of sex, as a biological attribute and gender as a socially constructed identity in published reporting guidelines. Methods and FindingsWe conducted a systematic review of published reporting guidelines listed on the EQUATOR website (www.equator-nework.org) from inception until December 2018. We selected all reporting guidelines (original and extensions) listed on the EQUATOR library. We used EndNote Citation Software to build a database of the statement of each guideline identified as full bibliographic reference and retrieved the full texts. Reviewers independently extracted the data from the checklist/abstract/main text of guidelines. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis. A total of 407 reporting guidelines were included; they were published between 1995 and 2018. Of the 407 guidelines, 159 (39%) mentioned "sex" and/or "gender" in the checklist/abstract/main text. Of these, 90 (22.1%) mentioned only "sex", and 91 (22.4%) mentioned only "gender". In the checklist of the reporting guidelines (n = 363), "sex" and "gender" were mentioned in 50 (13.8%) and 39 (10.7%), respectively. Only one reporting guideline met the three criteria of correct use of sex and gender concepts. Trends in the use of sex and gender in the checklists showed that the use of "sex" only started in 2003, while "gender" has been used since 1996. ConclusionsWe assessed the integration of sex and gender considerations in reporting guidelines based on the use of sex- and gender-related words. Our findings showed a low use and integration of sex and gender concepts in reporting guidelines. Authors of reporting guidelines should reduce this gap for a better use of research knowledge. Registration: PROSPERO no. CRD42019136491.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Undergraduate student interest in healthcare career in the context of COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe healthcare profession has been long considered an excellent career choice. Pre-medical experience is documented to be important in shaping future medical landscape. In the wake of the pandemic, there has been intense media spotlight on the healthcare profession and change in academic environment, necessitating analyses of student experience. This project aims to assess change in undergraduate student interest in healthcare career using cross-sectional survey study. MethodsThe project was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Voluntary survey collected data on demographics, socioeconomics, media exposure, academic environment, and change in interest in a healthcare profession. Survey was distributed through the university undergraduate pre-health listserv. Total of 297 responses were obtained. Descriptive statistics including Fishers exact test were applied in the analysis. ResultsMajority of the respondents were Asians (54.9%), second generation immigrants (52.2%), and female (73.4%). Large proportion of the respondents were negatively affected by the pandemic, with losing a job or internship personally (42.1%) or a family member or a friend (62.6%). Students had mixed response to online learning environment, with 27.3% of students noting no change, 40.4% students noting increased difficulty, and 32.3% students noting decreased difficulty of classes. During the pandemic, 47.5% of students noted increased interest in pursuing healthcare career. The change in interest in healthcare career was not associated with xdemographics, economic hardship, or online learning environment. DiscussionDespite the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic, students showed strong interest in pursuing healthcare careers.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Factors that Influence Career Choice Among Different Populations of Neuroscience Trainees

Enhancing the diversity of the scientific workforce is critical to achieving the mission of NIH: "To seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability." However, specific groups have historically been, and continue to be, underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce, especially academia. Career choice is a multi-factorial process that evolves over time; among all trainees, expressed interest in faculty research careers decreases over time in graduate school, but that trend is amplified in women and members of historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (Fuhrmann, Halme, OSullivan, & Lindstaedt, 2011; Gibbs, McGready, Bennett, & Griffin, 2014; C. Golde & Dore, 2004; Roach & Sauermann, 2017; Sauermann & Roach, 2012). Neuroscience as a discipline has characteristics that may exacerbate the overall trends seen in the life sciences, such as a greater growth in the number of awarded neuroscience PhDs than in other life sciences fields (US National Science Foundation, 2016b). This work was designed to investigate how career interest changes over time among recent neuroscience PhD graduates, and whether differences in career interests are associated with social identity (i.e. gender and race/ethnicity), experiences in graduate school and postdoctoral training (e.g. relationship with advisor; feelings of belonging), and personal characteristics (e.g. confidence in ones potential to be an independent researcher). We report results from a survey of 1,479 PhD neuroscientists (including 16% underrepresented (UR) and 54% female scientists). We saw repeated evidence that individual preferences about careers in general, and academic careers specifically, predict current career interest. These statistically significant preferences mostly had medium to low effect size that varied by career type. These findings were mediated by social identity and experiences in graduate school and postdoctoral training. Our findings highlight the important influence of the advisor in shaping a trainees career path, and the ways in which academic culture is perceived as unwelcoming or incongruent with the values or priorities of certain groups. For women, issues of work/life balance and structural issues of academia, and for UR women in particular, lower confidence in their ability to be an independent researcher, affected their interest in academia. Both women and UR men in our study report a lower importance of autonomy in their careers. UR respondents report feeling less like they were a part of the social and intellectual community. However, they have formed beneficial relationships with faculty outside their PhD institutions that, particularly for UR women, are associated with increased interest in academia. Our findings suggest several areas for positive growth, ways to change how we think about the impact of mentorship, and policy and programmatic interventions that extend beyond trying to change or "fix" the individual and instead recognize the systemic structures that influence career choices.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

How faculty define quality, prestige, and impact in research

Despite the calls for change, there is significant consensus that when it comes to evaluating publications, review, promotion, and tenure processes should aim to reward research that is of high "quality," has an "impact," and is published in "prestigious" journals. Nevertheless, such terms are highly subjective and present challenges to ascertain precisely what such research looks like. Accordingly, this article responds to the question: how do faculty from universities in the United States and Canada define the terms quality, prestige, and impact? We address this question by surveying 338 faculty members from 55 different institutions. This studys findings highlight that, despite their highly varied definitions, faculty often describe these terms in overlapping ways. Additionally, results shown that marked variance in definitions across faculty does not correspond to demographic characteristics. This studys results highlight the need to more clearly implement evaluation regimes that do not rely on ill-defined concepts. Financial DisclosureFunding for this project was provided to JPA, MTN, ECM, and LAS from the OpenSociety Foundations (OR2017-39637). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Related MaterialsOther publications related to this project, including a series of infographics summarizing findings, can be found at: https://www.scholcommlab.ca/research/rpt-project/ Survey responses can be found at the following publication: Niles, Meredith T.; Schimanski, Lesley A.; McKiernan, Erin C.; Alperin, Juan Pablo,2020, "Data for: Why we publish where we do", https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/MRLHNO, Harvard Dataverse, V1 Data regarding RPT documents can be found at the following data publication: Alperin, Juan Pablo; Munoz Nieves, Carol; Schimanski, Lesley; McKiernan, Erin C.;Niles, Meredith T., 2018, "Terms and Concepts found in Tenure and Promotion Guidelines from the US and Canada", https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/VY4TJE, Harvard Dataverse, V3, UNF:6:PQC7QoilolhDrokzDPxxyQ== [fileUNF]

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

An Evaluation of Curriculum change in Physiology: A Mixed method research design

IntroductionThe quality of both teaching and learning techniques in health sciences determines the competency of the doctors produced and the patient care. Realizing the necessity of active learning at the undergraduate level, curricular reforms were crucial to ensure that students play an active role in the learning process and imbibe all the prerequisite qualities of a competent health professional. The objective of this study was to implement and evaluate case-based learning in the physiology curriculum. MethodsThe study included 150 first-year MBBS students. We followed a mixed research design in this study. A short lecture on anemia was followed by two sessions of CBL with a gap of one week. A structured questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect students perceptions. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was Cronbach -statistic = 0.8. Faculties feedback was collected through Focus Group Discussion (FGD). ResultsOut of 145 participants, 117 responded to feedback. Students perceived that the CBL method was effective in understanding anemia topic (71%); promoted meaningful learning (83%); encouraged teamwork (69%); improved communication skills (65%); helps in future application of knowledge (81%); motivated self-directed learning (66%); helped to understand physiology concepts better (72%); leads to the development of problem-solving abilities (70%); and better student-teacher relationship (72%). Faculties suggested developing an assessment plan for future CBL sessions. ConclusionIn our experience, CBL is an effective, active teaching-learning tool that improves students understanding of basic concepts, clinical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, communication skills, student-teacher relationship, and self-directed learning.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Marginal cost of contextualizing stigma of zoonotic diseases

BackgroundIn the medical sphere, understanding naming conventions strengthen the integrity of naming human diseases remains nominal rather than substantial yet. Since the current nosology-based standard for human diseases could not offer a one-size-fits-all corrective mechanism, many idiomatic but flawed names frequently appear in scientific literature and news outlets at the cost of sociocultural impacts. ObjectiveWe attempt to examine the ethical oversights of current naming practices and propose heuristic rationales and approaches to determine a pithy name instead of an inopportune nosology. MethodsFirst, we examined the compiled global online news volumes and emotional tones on some inopportune nosology like German measles, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, Spanish flu, Hong Kong flu, and Huntingtons disease in the wake of COVID-19. Second, we prototypically scrutinize the lexical dynamics and pathological differentials of German measles and common synonyms by leveraging the capacity of the Google Books Ngram Corpus. Third, we demonstrated the empirical approaches to curate an exclusive substitute for an anachronistic nosology German measles based on deep learning models and post-hoc explanations. ResultsThe infodemiological study shows that the public informed the offensive names with extremely negative tones in textual and visual narratives. The findings of the historiographical study indicate that many synonyms of German measles did not survive, while German measles became an anachronistic usage, and rubella has taken the dominant place since 1994. The PubMedBERT model could identify rubella as a potential substitution for German measles with the highest semantic similarity. The results of the semantic drift experiments further indicate that rubella tends to survive during the ebb and flow of semantic drift. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that the nosological evolution of anachronistic names could result in sociocultural impacts without a corrective mechanism. To mitigate such impacts, we introduce some ethical principles for formulating an improved naming scheme. Based on deep learning models and post-hoc explanations, our illustrated experiments could provide hallmark references to the remedial mechanism of naming practices and pertinent credit allocations.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Current challenges in microbiome metadata collection

While the biomedical community has embraced data sharing (e.g. results, raw data) and supported establishment of large research consortia (e.g. the Human Microbiome Project) aimed to standardize the quality of important sets of microbiome sequencing data, the reusability of most microbiome data is still limited by the quality of its associated metadata. To ensure that microbiome data is indeed FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), it is necessary to consider tools and approaches that make it easier to provide high-quality metadata that is fit for purpose moving forward. Such tools and approaches could be informed by current efforts to harmonize and improve the quality of extant microbiome metadata.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Knowledge production and translation of science between Academia and Industry: assessing the impact of R&D in India

India is at the 3rd position worldwide in terms of publication of scientific literature. However, in terms of productivity, it has been consistently failing to transform the research knowledge into industrial output. This study compares India with the leading countries to understand its lacuna in terms of R&D policy and outputs. Although scientific publications are regarded as the output of basic research, patent applications serve as a better indicator of the applied research. This paper assesses the important determinants for patent filings of a nation. It also focuses on the role of academia and industry collaboration in R&D and the productivity of a nation. We found that the higher the GERD (total Gross Domestic Expenditure of R&D) and the R&D personnel in a nation, the higher the patent filings of the nation. Moreover, we show that academia-industrial collaboration plays a key role in transforming basic research into real-world applications, as we illustrate the governments role in making necessary policies to make the collaboration successful. This paper highlights the significance of investing in R&D to improve the productivity of a nation, as also the need to design policies to strengthen the applied research environment by fostering solution-centric collaborations between academia and industry.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

Herpetologists' Conservation Research Focus Drives Their Intentions to Participate in Future Public Engagement

Public Engagement with Science (PES) is a popular topic in the science community due to general concerns about public support for science, attitudes toward science, and changes in scientific funding requirements. PES may be especially relevant in conservation disciplines as the public plays an important role in conservation practice. Herpetofauna specifically stand to benefit, as PES activities can help improve attitudes and conservation behavior of participants toward uncharismatic species. We assessed the current scope of herpetologists PES activities and investigated factors associated with their participation in PES. We used a closed-ended question survey distributed via the listservs of four American herpetological organizations. Herpetologists intentions to engage at least 10 hours in the next 12 months significantly differed between herpetologists with high and low conservation research focuses, but hours of engagement in the past 12 months was not significantly different among these groups. Despite most responding herpetologists having limited formal training, time, resources, and institutional support, many participated in a variety of PES activities, often utilizing partnerships and their own resources. Sampled herpetologists rarely evaluated their PES activities or considered publishing about their engagement activities. Some respondents expressed unease with the idea of message framing. Respondents were interested in evaluation training and providing accessible opportunities, and grant funds were the most likely interventions to increase herpetologists participation in PES. These results provide reference data and insight into the public engagement practices and needs of practicing herpetologists and conservation scientists. Author statementWe informed participants of their rights and protections as approved by University of Florida IRB201800258. None of the authors have conflicts of interest related to this research. Funding for the research was provided by a Roger Conant Grant from the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). SSAR had no role in interpretation of data, the writing of the report, or the decision to submit the article for publication.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2021

"How do we do this at a distance?!" A descriptive study of remote undergraduate research programs during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down undergraduate research programs across the U.S. Twenty-three sites offered remote undergraduate research programs in the life sciences during summer 2020. Given the unprecedented offering of remote research experiences, we carried out a study to describe and evaluate these programs. Using structured templates, we documented how programs were designed and implemented, including who participated. Through focus groups and surveys, we identified programmatic strengths and shortcomings as well as recommendations for improvements from the perspectives of participating students. Strengths included the quality of mentorship, opportunities for learning and professional development, and development of a sense of community. Weaknesses included limited cohort building, challenges with insufficient structure, and issues with technology. Although all programs had one or more activities related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, these topics were largely absent from student reports even though programs coincided with a peak in national consciousness about racial inequities and structural racism. Our results provide evidence for designing remote REUs that are experienced favorably by students. Our results also indicate that remote REUs are sufficiently positive to further investigate their affordances and constraints, including the potential to scale up offerings, with minimal concern about disenfranchising students.

scientific communication and education↗