A Vignette-based Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Impact of Research Climate on Research Practices of Doctoral Students

Not Applicable

• Conditions: The Study Focus on no Specific Condition
• Interventions: Other: Vignette with emphasis on research climate

• Registration Number: NCT04263805
• Lead Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Brief Summary

This study aims to evaluate the impact of research climate on PhD students' research practice (i.e., an environment where their peer (i.e., a post-doc researcher) had detrimental practice in a similar situation)

Detailed Description

PhD students are the next generation of researchers and will present the field in the future. However, several environmental factors might influence their research practice. In this study, the investigators will evaluate the impact of research climate on PhD students' research practice (exposure to an environment where their peers commit a detrimental practice).

Objective: To evaluate the impact of research climate on PhD students' research practice

Design: A randomized controlled trial

1. Intervention: Participants will be shown two case vignettes describing dilemma situations in research reported with and without research climate factor.

2. Participants: The participants will be PhD students in all biomedical disciplines.

3. Sample size will be 300 participants

4. Primary outcome: In each vignette, participants will have to indicate which solution they prefer on a semantic differential scale, rated from - 5 to -1 (preference for solution A) and from 1 to 5 (preference for solution B). Participants will be forced to make a choice between the 2 solutions. The primary outcome will be the mean preference score.

5. This study is approved by ethics review regulations by INSERM (CEEI-IRB): IRB00003888

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2020-01
• Study Start: 2020-02-01
• Study First Submitted: 2020-02-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-02-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-02-10
• Study First Posted: 2020-02-11
• Last Update Posted: 2020-02-11
• Primary Completion: 2020-12-31
• Study Completion: 2020-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 300

Inclusion Criteria

• PhD students in biomedical disciplines

Exclusion Criteria

• NA

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Vignette without research climate	Vignette with emphasis on research climate	Participants in this arm will receive vignettes describing a dilemma situation in research without the additional sentence describing research climate
Vignette with research climate	Vignette with emphasis on research climate	Participants in this arm will receive vignettes describing a dilemma situation in research (e.g adding honorary author) with additional sentence describing research climate (i.e. an environment where their peer had detrimental practice in a similar situation)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
mean preference score	Immediate assessment	In each vignette, participants will have to indicate which solution they prefer on a semantic differential scale, rated from - 5 to -1 (preference for solution A) and from 1 to 5 (preference for solution B).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
proportion of students who chose the detrimental research practice (DRP)	Immediate assessment	Proportion of students rated from -5 to -1 for the DRP.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Centre d'Epidémiologie Clinique, hôpital Hôtel Dieu, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; 🇫🇷 Paris Cedex 04, France