Table 4 Exploratory analysis, association between journal features, and transparency policies with univariate analysis
Research transparency promotion by surgical journals | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Data-sharing support | Mandatory prospective registration of clinical study | Mandatory follow-up of CONSORT guidelines | Mandatory conflict of interest disclosure | |||||||||
Yes | No | P value | Yes | No | P value | Yes | No | P value | Yes | No | P value | |
n = 41 | n = 41 | n = 53 | n = 29 | n = 24 | n = 58 | n = 77 | n = 5 | |||||
Explicit instruction (s) for RCT in the OIA | 32 (78) | 35 (85) | 0.56 | 53 (100) | 14 (48) | < 0.001 | 24 (100) | 43 (74) | 0.004 | 63 (82) | 4 (80) | 1.00 |
Allude to ICMJE guidelines in the OIA | 29 (71) | 34 (83) | 0.29 | 49 (92) | 14 (48) | < 0.001 | 19 (79) | 44 (76) | 0.97 | 60 (78) | 3 (60) | 0.33 |
ICMJE affiliation* | 17 (41) | 18 (44) | 1 | 27 (51) | 8 (28) | 0.07 | 15 (63) | 20 (34) | 0.03 | 34 (44) | 1 (20) | 0.38 |
Journal impact factor | 2.77 [2.38–3.69] | 3.12 [2.64–3.86] | 0.28 | 3.29 [2.69–4.09] | 2.53 [2.29–3.00] | < 0.001 | 3.24 [2.53–4.55] | 2.88 [2.47–3.67] | 0.25 | 2.95 [2.47–3.85] | 3.37 [2.87–3.52] | 0.80 |
Number of RCT published during the study period | 12 [5–21] | 11 [4–20] | 0.59 | 12 [5–21] | 9 [5–20] | 0.53 | 12.5 [6.00–23.25] | 11 [3.25–20.00] | 0.46 | 12 [5.0–21.0] | 6 [5.0–9.0] | 0.13 |
Publisher (high vs. middle vs low) | 0.09 | 0.19 | 0.97 | 0.19 | ||||||||
High | 17 (41) | 8 (20) | 15 (28) | 10 (34) | 7 (29) | 18 (31) | 20 (26) | 0 (0) | ||||
Middle | 14 (34) | 22 (54) | 21 (40) | 15 (52) | 11 (46) | 25 (43) | 32 (42) | 4 (80) | ||||
Low | 10 (24) | 11 (27) | 17 (32) | 4 (14) | 6 (25) | 15 (26) | 20 (26) | 1 (20) | ||||
Geographical area of the editorial committee board | 0.5 | 0.10 | 0.68 | 0.04 | ||||||||
America | 20 (49) | 26 (63) | 28 (53) | 18 (62) | 14 (58) | 32 (55) | 45 (58) | 1 (20) | ||||
Asia | 3 (7) | 3 (7) | 6 (11) | 0 (0) | 2 (8) | 4 (7) | 4 (5) | 2 (40) | ||||
Europe | 15 (37) | 11 (27) | 15 (28) | 11 (38) | 6 (25) | 20 (34) | 24 (31) | 2 (40) | ||||
Multinational | 3 (7) | 1 (2) | 4 (8) | 0 (0) | 2 (8) | 2 (3) | 4 (5) | 0 (0) | ||||
Journal topics | 0.44 | 0.44 | 1 | 0.33 | ||||||||
Surgery in specialised topics | 29 (71) | 33 (80) | 42 (79) | 20 (69) | 18 (75) | 44 (76) | 57 (74) | 5 (100) | ||||
Surgery in general topics | 12 (29) | 8 (20) | 11 (21) | 9 (31) | 6 (25) | 14 (24) | 20 (26) | 0 (0.0) | ||||
Publishing mode | 0.71 | 0.70 | 0.09 | 1.00 | ||||||||
Reader | 3 (7) | 5 (12) | 6 (11) | 2 (6.9) | 0 (0) | 8 (14) | 8 (10) | 0 (0.0) | ||||
Optional/Author | 38 (93) | 36 (88) | 47 (89) | 27 (93) | 24 (100) | 50 (86) | 69 (90) | 5 (100) | ||||