Cochrane systematic review as a PhD thesis: an alternative with numerous advantages

In this article we propose that the production of a systematic review within The Cochrane Collaboration should be considered a valid mode of achieving doctoral title in medicine and related professions, including biochemistry. While engaging in a Cochrane systematic review, an author first registers a title, then writes a peer-reviewed protocol consisting of introduction and methods, and finally publishes a full systematic review in The Cochrane Library, a monthly publication, which in 2009 reached an impact factor of 5.65. Conducting a Cochrane systematic review can give PhD candidates not only an opportunity to acquire a high level of content and methodological expertise, but also the capacity to learn and solve problems by using critical and analytical thinking. This capacity is considered one of the key generic and transferable skills necessary for future researchers. While working on a Cochrane systematic review, an author builds international research network. Cochrane Review Groups as editorial bases of The Cochrane Collaboration offer ongoing support and advice to the authors. Besides being clinically relevant and high-impact, Cochrane systematic reviews should be especially interesting to doctoral students from low- and middle-income countries because they are associated with relatively small financial burden. In conclusion, systematic reviews have a number of advantages and therefore institutions offering postgraduate training should consider adopting a "Cochrane PhD", and students should consider doing a Cohrane systematic review for their doctoral thesis

Between forwarding and mentoring: a qualitative study of recommending medical doctors for international postdoctoral research positions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Young scientists rarely have extensive international connections that could facilitate their mobility. They often rely on their doctoral supervisors and other senior academics, who use their networks to generate opportunities for young scientists to gain international experience and provide the initial trigger for an outward move.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To explore the process of informal recommending of young physicians from a small country for postdoctoral research positions in foreign countries, we conducted in-depth interviews with eight senior academics who acted as recommenders and eight physicians who, based on the recommendations of senior academics, spent at least a year working in a laboratory abroad. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed by using the framework approach.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The findings showed that recommending can take four distinct forms: 1) forwarding information, 2) passive recommending, 3) active recommending, and 4) mentor recommending. These forms differ in their level of commitment and mutual trust among actors, and possible control over the success of the process. Two groups of recommendees - 'naive' and 'experienced' - can be distinguished based on their previous scientific experience and research collaboration with the recommender. Crucial for the success of the process is an adequate preparation of recommendees' stay abroad, as well as their return and reintegration. The benefits of recommending extend beyond the individual participants to the scientific community and broader society of the sending country.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>With a sufficient level of commitment by the actors, informal recommending can be a part of or grow into an all-encompassing developmental relationship equal to mentoring. The importance of senior academics' informal contacts and recommendations in promoting junior scientists' mobility should be acknowledged and encouraged by the research institutions and universities, particularly in developing countries.</p

National vs. international journals: views of medical professionals in Croatia

Scholarly journals, especially in non-English-speaking countries, may perform very different functions depending on whether they are published for national or international audiences. Four hundred and sixty-six academic physicians and non-academic general practitioners in Croatia were surveyed on their knowledge about two Croatian medical journals: Liječnički vjesnik (published in Croatian) and Croatian Medical Journal (published in English). The physicians were also surveyed about the importance of all national and international journals published in Croatia, and the types of articles they thought should be published in these journals. More respondents rated national (n = 329, 72.6%) than international journals (n = 275, 63.5%, P < 0.001, Wilcoxon test) as very important for the medical profession. On the other hand, publishing in international journals was more often rated as important than publishing in national journals (n = 184, 42.5% vs. n = 125, 27.8%; P < 0.001, Wilcoxon test). Guidelines for clinical practice were rated as the most important publication item in national journals, and original scientific articles in international journals

MARIENLIEDER IN DER ABSCHRIFT VON GAŠPAR VNUČIĆ

Člankom pozivamo znanstvenu javnost da pažljivo čita glagoljsku prozu, ne bi li u njoj prepoznala stihove, i da čita asilabičke stihove, ne bi li u njima prepoznala izvorno silabičke, ali iskvarene i prilagođene molitvenoj svrsi. Uvjereni smo da su pobožni pisari pjesme pretvarali u molitve tako da su ih lišavali pjesničkih rekvizita, posebice ritma i rime. Stilističkom metodom supstitucije nastojali smo pokazati taj postupak pisara na primjeru Molitvenika Gašpara Vnučića iz 16. stoljeća: naizgled prozni tekstovi, molitve upućene Mariji i Kristu, u našoj su rekonstrukciji konačno poprimili čvrstu stihovnu formu. Lingvističkom analizom dokazivali smo proces kvarenja izvornih pjesama, odnosno izvršili smo rekonstrukciju. Siromašnu korpusu hrvatskih marijanskih pjesama tako smo dodali nekoliko novih, dosad nepoznatih pjesama. Pretežito su, uvjereni smo, izvorno bile napisane u osmercima i distisima, s rimama i asonancama, sasvim uobičajeno za hrvatsko religiozno pjesništvo s kraja srednjovjekovlja.Mit diesem Artikel wird die wissenschaftliche Öffentlichkeit zum aufmerksamen Lesen der glagolitischen Prosa aufgefordert, um in ihr die Verse zu entdecken. Gleichzeitig wird sie zum Lesen der asilabischen Verse aufgefordert, um in ihnen die ursprünglich silabischen, aber veränderten und dem Zweck des Gebets angepassten Verse zu erkennen. Wir sind uns dessen sicher, dass die frommen Schreiber die Gedichte in Gebete umgewandelt haben, so dass die Gedichte aller dichterischen Requisiten, besonders des Rhythmus und des Reimes, ledig geblieben sind. Durch die stilistische Methode der Substitution haben wir jenes Verfahren der Schreiber am Beispiel des Gebetbuchs von Gašpar Vnučić aus dem 16. Jahrhundert zu erklären versucht: scheinbare Prosatexte, Gebete, die Maria und Christus gewidmet sind, haben endlich eine feste Versform eingenommen. Durch die linguistische Analyse haben wir den Prozess des Verfalls der originalen Gedichte bewiesen, bzw. haben uns um eine Rekonstruktion bemüht. Dem spärlichen Korpus der kroatischen Marienlieder haben wir auf diese Art und Weise einige neue, bis jetzt unbekannte Gedichte zugefügt. Vorwiegend sind diese, davon sind wir überzeugt, original im Achtsilber und in Distichen, mit Reimen und Assonanzen geschrieben worden. Das war üblich für die kroatische religiöse Dichtkunst des späten Mittelalters

Revelation in Iacopone da Todi’s Laudes

U aktualnim raspravama “Laude” Iacoponea da Todija smatraju se ogledalom i dokumentom teškoga života jednoga čudaka i fratra izopćenika, grješnika i pokajnika, nekom vrstom molitvenika. No analiza tematsko-motivske veze njegovih Lauda s Otkrivenjem prikazuje ih kao apokaliptičke, duhovnjačke, pa i krivovjerne. Pritom se uzima u obzir činjenica da je Iacopone pripadao franjevcima duhovnjacima, te autorica u nastavku propituje Iacoponeovu kritiku Rimske crkve, klera i, posebice, pape Bonifacija VIII., s pozicije franjevaca apokaliptika. U završnim opservacijama autorica daje prikaz Iacoponeovih uvjerenja da se u vezi s papinskim aktivnostima pojavljuju znaci što navješćuju kataklizmički kraj povijesti i svijeta te dolazak Sudnjega dana.In the actual discussions Iacopone da Todi’s Laudes are witness to the troubled life of the wandering ascetic and excommunicated friar, sinner and penitent. His Laudes are a sort of Prayer book, but the analysis of themes and motifs in his poetry connects them with the Book of Revelation and presents them as being apocalyptic, spiritual and even heretical. At the same time the fact is accepted that Iacopone was connected with the apocalyptical Spiritual Franciscans and from that severe and radical position the author shows that he was steadfast in condemning the mainstream church, clergy and the Pope Boniface VIII. Final observations offer the presentation of Iacopone’s convictions that, in relation to the papal activities, the cataclysmic end of the history and the world is approaching

GLAGOLITIC INSCRIPTION FROM ASSERIA AS RECORDED IN NIN

Iz crkve sv. Marka/Sv. Duha u Podgraðu/Aseriji izvađeni su nedavno ostatci triju glagoljskih natpisa iz, najvjerojatnije, godine 1426. Bili su uklesani u ploče koje su do nas dospjele u obliku pet fragmenata. Prije negoli su na prijelazu iz 17. u 18. stoljeće bili ugrađeni u zidove crkve, ploče su, čini se, bile cjelovite, jer su ninski biskupi, vizitatori negdanjega, još srednjovjekovnoga, dekanata u Podgrađu natpise vidjeli, pročitali i zabilježili godinu precrtavši je s jednoga od njih tako da su je inkorporirali u tkanje latiničkoga izvješća o vizitaciji. Time su poručili da su natpisi za njih po nečemu jako važni, a po čemu, znat ćemo točnije pošto dešifriramo njihovo značenje, u ovome času uglavnom nedostupno: zbog oštećenja tekstova zasad smo u mogućnosti ponuditi tek transliteraciju fragmentarnih natpisa. Ipak znamo da je riječ o nadgrobnim natpisima popova iz sredine prve polovice 15. stoljeća, a svjesni smo i važnosti otkrića natpisâ – najstariji su sa širega zadarskoga područja. Pretpostavljamo da su toliko znali i u Ninu oko 1700. godine, ali i ponešto više od toga.From the wall of the medieval church of St Mark, later dedicated to the Holy Spirit, in Podgrađe/Asseria near Benkovac, the fragments of the three Glagolitic inscriptions, very likely from 1426, were recently pulled out, one of them bearing clearly the year. The other mentions probably the same year as only a part of it is preserved; the third fragment having only letters whose morphology indicates the concurrent time of writing as on the two other inscriptions. Inscriptions are being preserved on the stone fragments, that is, they were cut into tablets of which five fragments have been discovered up to now. All the inscriptions are more or less damaged, one missing few letters, another badly damaged with a possibility of reconstruction, while the other one is completely illegible. From the archaeological point of view these finds are rather valuable because the preserved fragments represent the oldest Glagolitic inscriptions throughout the wider Zadar area. The value arises from the fact that there is an archival material witnessing the time of these inscriptions. Thus we come to know that at the turn of the 17th c. to 18th c. these inscriptions were incorporated within the walls of the church during one of its numerous reconstructions and what is more then, they were complete and visible. We know for sure that the bishops from Nin, visiting Podgrađe (part of their bishopric) saw the inscriptions (or at least one of them) read them and recorded the year from the inscription into their Latin - script report on visitation. By doing so they pointed out the importance of these inscriptions of which we know a little but hope to know more after deciphering their meaning. For the moment we can only offer the transliteration of fragmented inscriptions. According to the transliteration we can state that they represent 1) the grave inscriptions 2) the graves of the priests 3) and the year 1426