Applying Metascientific Principles to Autism Research

Description

This book presents several metascientific strategies and explains how they can be used to improve research about the autism spectrum. It begins with an introduction to the field of metascience and the benefits that it brings to academic disciplines and society. It then outlines recommendations that researchers can adopt so that they do not incorporate specious autism research from predatory publishers into their research activities. An introduction to reproducibility and strategies that can improve the reproducibility of autism research are then outlined. This is followed by chapters about improving the peer review process and reducing the prospect of questionable research practices from occurring. This book concludes with a chapter about strategies that researchers can use to improve the participation of autistics in research. Such knowledge will equip academics, regardless of their experience, with the skills and expertise they need to produce high-quality and inclusive research about the autism spectrum. Foreword Preface About the Book Contents About the Author Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 The Public’s Trust in Scientific Endeavours and Researchers 1.2 Overview of Metascience 1.3 Benefits of Metascience 1.3.1 Reduce Article Retractions 1.3.2 Prevent Flawed Research from Being Incorporated into Academic Disciplines 1.3.3 Reducing the Wastage of Financial Resources 1.4 Pedagogical Features in This Book 1.5 Objective of This Book 1.6 Summary of Upcoming Chapters 1.6.1 Chapter 2: Preventing the Certification and Proliferation of Specious Research 1.6.2 Chapter 3: Addressing the Reproducibility Crisis 1.6.3 Chapter 4: Evaluating and Improving the Peer Review Process 1.6.4 Chapter 5: Reducing Questionable Research Practices 1.6.5 Chapter 6: Creating Studies That Are Respectful of Autistic Participants References Chapter 2: Preventing the Certification and Proliferation of Specious Research 2.1 The Creation of Predatory Publishers and Beall’s List 2.2 Consequences of Predatory Publishers 2.2.1 Corrupting Research 2.2.2 Undermining the Training of Scholars 2.2.3 Increased Email Correspondence to Academics 2.3 Checklists and Flow Diagrams to Identify Predatory Journals 2.4 Conclusion References Chapter 3: Addressing the Reproducibility Crisis 3.1 Defining Reproducibility 3.2 Prevalence of Irreproducible Autism Research 3.3 Strategies to Improve the Reproducibility of Autism Research 3.3.1 Archiving Datasets 3.3.2 Journal Requesting Datasets from Authors 3.3.3 Open Science Badges 3.3.4 Reforming Academic Hiring Practices to Promote Reproducible Research 3.3.5 Pre-registering Studies 3.3.6 Improving the Readability of a Study’s Methodology 3.3.7 Requiring Researchers to Self-examine Their Previous Research 3.3.8 Declaring All Conflicts of Interest 3.3.9 Declaring all Sources of Funding 3.3.10 Publicise Materials 3.3.11 Creating a Journal That Only Publishes Replications of Autism Research 3.4 Conclusion References Chapter 4: Evaluating and Improving the Peer Review Process 4.1 The Peer Review Process 4.2 Drawback One: The Pervasive Incentives Placed on Academics to Publish Manuscripts 4.3 Drawback Two: Publication Bias 4.4 Drawback Three: Inconsistent Publishing Policies Between Journals 4.5 Drawback Four: Redundancy in Repeating the Peer Review Process 4.6 Drawback Five: Lack of Formal Education for Early Career Researchers About How to Peer Review a Manuscript 4.7 Drawback Six: Inconsistent Reviews of the Entire Manuscript 4.8 Drawback Seven: The Impacts of Unprofessional Comments by Peer Reviewers 4.9 Drawback Eight: Ambiguity About Citing Preprinted Articles 4.10 Conclusion References Chapter 5: Reducing Questionable Research Practices 5.1 Defining Questionable Research Practices 5.1.1 Cherry Picking 5.1.2 P-Hacking 5.1.3 Hypothesising After Results Are Known 5.2 Prevalence of Questionable Research Practices 5.3 Factors That Can Create Questionable Research Practices 5.4 Strategies to Reduce Questionable Research Practices 5.4.1 Registering a Study’s Design 5.4.2 Reforming Grant Awarding Agencies 5.4.3 Educating Scholars About Questionable Research Practices 5.4.4 Reforming the Holistic Process of Publishing Research 5.4.5 Using Evidence-Based Language 5.4.6 Reforming the Publish or Perish Culture 5.4.7 Removing the Financial Incentives for Academic Publishing 5.4.8 Creating an Independent Research Integrity Agency 5.4.9 Developing a Confidential Reporting System 5.5 Conclusion References Chapter 6: Creating Studies That Are Respectful of Autistic Participants 6.1 What Is Participatory Research? 6.1.1 Cultivating and Maintaining Respect 6.1.2 Establishing Authenticity 6.1.3 Correcting False Assumptions 6.1.4 Allocating Funding for Stakeholder Engagement 6.1.5 Building Empathy Between Autistic Participants and Non-autistic Researchers 6.2 Establishing an Audit Trail 6.3 Establishing an Autism Advisory Panel 6.4 Identifying Any Risks and Benefits with the Research 6.5 Preparing for the Interview or Focus Group 6.5.1 Preparing for the Interview 6.5.2 Preparing for the Focus Group 6.5.3 Giving the Participants the Interview or Focus Group Questions Before the Study 6.6 Providing Support 6.7 Signing the Consent Form 6.8 Conducting the Interview or Focus Group 6.8.1 Identify When Qualitative Research Interviews Are Appropriate 6.8.2 Familiarise Yourself with the Topic 6.8.3 Create an Interview Guide and Test the Questions 6.8.4 Consider the Cultural and Power Dynamics of the Interview Situation 6.8.5 Building Rapport with the Participants 6.8.6 The Interviewer Is the Co-creator of the Data 6.8.7 Talk Less and Listen More 6.8.8 Adjusting the Interview Guide 6.8.9 Prepare for Unanticipated Emotions 6.8.10 Transcribe the Interviews in Good Time 6.8.11 Check the Data 6.8.12 Initiate the Analysis Early 6.9 Recording the Interview Session or Focus Group 6.10 Conducting Virtual Interviews 6.11 Guides to Facilitate the Participation of Autistics in Research 6.12 Conclusion References Appendix A: Results from the PubMed Search Appendix B: Open Science Badges Published by the Center for Open Science Appendix C: AutismCRC Participatory and Inclusion Guidelines Participatory Research Practice Guide 1: Consulting with Autistic People in Research What Is Consultation? Methods of Consultation Practical Strategies for Consultation Participatory Research Practice Guide 2: Co-producing Research with Autistic People What Is Co-production? Principles of Co-production Guidelines for Including Autistic Adults as Co-researchers Practical Strategies for Co-production Reflective Questions Participatory Research Practice Guide 3: Supporting Autistic People to Produce Community-Led Research What Is Community-Led Research? Supporting Community-Led Research Inclusive Research Practice Guide 1: Involving Autistic People as Research Participants Involving Autistic People as Research Participants Recruitment Participant Information and Consent Planning Face-to-Face Research Sensory Considerations Planning Group Research Inclusive Research Practice Guide 2: Disseminating Research Findings What Is Dissemination? Dissemination Methods and Materials Planning for Dissemination Objective Audience Message Partners Resources Methods Materials Timing Risks Evaluation What Makes Dissemination Effective? Accessibility Reporting on Community Engagement Index