Research related to COVID-19 is captivating utmost attention. However, the journals are in a rat-race with each other to mitigate pressure to publish COVID-19. Somewhere or not, the trivial n repackaged publications in the name of the pandemic are distracting focus from disease directed research...
I agree with Dr Rohan completely.
1. Non covid articles are veing ignored, rejected or the accepted are being delayed.
2. COVID articles are repeatedly published, many sharing the exact same message. This is acceptable till not repeated by same authors or journals.
3. Many articles are being made /edited/formatted in the name of the covid pandemic which is unethical and unjustified.
Dear Dr. Rohan Magoon , dear Dr. Pranav Ish ,
It's difficult to disagree! That's really the case.
Best,
Dr. Vardan Atoyan
Its really appalling that research papers on covid 19 is now gaining prominence even with misleading outcome and inappropriate methodology and lack of theoretical backing ahead of non covid 19 related and sound research. I learn that covid 19 related research takes averagely a month to publish while other are being delayed or even rejected.. Something ain't right at all..
While I understand the competition among the journals to publish COVID-19 related research, it becomes imperative to see that there are minimum interruptions in the field related research.
Moreover, for the journals which have held high peer-review standards all this while, the COVID-19 related research shouldn't be any exception.
I'm totally agree with you sir Rohan Magoon . This tiny microbiological monster has affected the entire healthcare system so much so that not only the publications, even academic course thesis oriented researches are also being hampered. Being a student of superspeciality course in a tertiary care hospital in India, I am also suffering from the same issue.
Agree with sir Rohan Magoon, many prestigious journals accept articles in the name of covid-19.
However, these articles are repetitive, lack of good content and evidence and not contributing in the management of disease.
@Rohan Magoon I think very few journals maintain 'Fact check' box containing points such as a) Existing knowledge about the subject; b) Additional information or knowledge added by this article; and c) Knowledge gaps remaining in the subject. If all journals follow this, then the highlighted problem will be effectively mitigated! Also, this should be the standard across all indexed journals (may be incorporated as one of the indexing criteria for new and old journals to obtain/maintain their indexed status) like the doctrine of GCP and GLP etc.
There are many Research and review publications/articles, as well as preprints and technical communication, about Covid-19. Most of them have valid information
Covid-19 is a new virus. So there is high possibility that information about Covid-19 in papers published months ago may no longer be valid as at today. Many new knowledge of Covid-19 are emerging every day
Many systemic manifestations of COVID-19 are published. THE Latest I read was hiccoughs. It makes me wonder whether it is all a mere coincidence. Are we not exaggerating and over-reporting mere coexisting things as associations and causations?
I agree reporting these will only lead to further studies for pathophysiology and treatment, but publishing such manifestations should always be done with this aim and not merely for publication.
When the entire system is geared towards rewarding 'number' of publications than quality or interest and using publications as a metric to assess the contribution of a doctor/professional, then it's a bit difficult to fault an average academic struggling to find a foot hold to not use any opportunity to make hay while the sun still shines..:)
The other end of the story, well laid out @ Shahir Asfahan . Many thanks.
Kindly check the chronicles of Covid-19 https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
Timeline of Covid-19 pandemic is available at https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/29-06-2020-covidtimeline
COVID patients are presenting with various types of symptom-complex.The management protocols being practiced are also different in different geographical areas with variable outcomes.As COVID-19 is a novel virus causing this pandemic now,I think numerous justified single-centre or multicentre studies must be carried out to come to a conclusion with standardized international guidelines for managing COVID patients from all corners with best possible outcomes.But I do support your point that research works for other common diseases should not be neglected.