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Online research methods have grown in popularity due in part to the globalised and far-reaching nature of the internet but also linked to the Covid-19 pandemic whereby restrictions to travel and face to face contact necessitated a shift in methods of research recruitment and data collection. Ethical guidance exists to support researchers in conducting online research, however this is lacking within health fields. This scoping review aims to synthesise formal ethical guidance for applying online methods within health research as well as provide examples of where guidance has been used. A systematic search of literature was conducted, restricted to English language records between 2013 and 2022. Eligibility focused on whether the records were providing ethical guidance or recommendations, were situated or relevant to health disciplines, and involved the use or discussion of online research methods. Following exclusion of ineligible records and duplicate removal, three organisational ethical guidance and 24 research papers were charted and thematically analysed. Four key themes were identified within the guidance documents, 1) consent, 2) confidentiality and privacy, 3) protecting participants from harm and 4) protecting researchers from harm with the research papers describing additional context and understanding around these issues. The review identified that there are currently no specific guidelines aimed at health researchers, with the most cited guidance coming from broader methodological perspectives and disciplines or auxiliary fields. All guidance discussed each of the four key themes within the wider context of sensitive topics and vulnerable populations, areas and issues which are often prominent within health research thus highlighting the need for unifying guidance specific for health researchers. Further research should aim to understand better how online health studies apply ethical principles, to support in informing gaps across both research and guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past COVID-19 outbreak caused a huge impact on China's cruise industry. Now that China's cruise industry is about to recover, how to assess the risks faced by the cruise industry has become an important issue. On this basis, this paper constructs China's cruise tourism supply chain and supply chain risk assessment system based on the research contributions made by previous researchers, evaluates the risk indicators of China's cruise tourism supply chain based on the catastrophe theory, and derives the risk assessment results through the catastrophe progression method, which can be used as a reference for the safe operation of cruise lines in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological compartmental models, such as SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, and Recovered) models, have been generally used in analyzing epidemiological data and forecasting the trajectory of transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Experience shows that accurately forecasting the trajectory of COVID-19 transmission curve is a big challenge for researchers in the field of epidemiological modeling because multiple unquantified factors can affect the trajectory of COVID-19 transmission. In the past years, we used a new compartmental model, l-i SEIR model, to analyze the COVID-19 transmission trend in the United States. Unlike the conventional SEIR model and the delayed SEIR model that use or partially use the approximation of temporal homogeneity, the l-i SEIR model takes into account chronological order of infected individuals in both latent (l) period and infectious (i) period, and thus improves the accuracy in forecasting the trajectory of transmission of infectious diseases, especially during periods of rapid rise or fall in the number of infections. This paper describes (1) how to use the new SEIR model (a mechanistic model) combined with fitting methods to simulate or predict trajectory of COVID-19 transmission, (2) how social interventions and new variants of COVID-19 significantly change COVID-19 transmission trends by changing transmission rate coefficient βn, the fraction of susceptible people (Sn/N), and the reinfection rate, (3) why accurately forecasting COVID-19 transmission trends is difficult, (4) what are the strategies that we have used to improve the forecast outcome and (5) what are some successful examples that we have obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To manage the negative impact of job burnout for the researchers, especially during COVID-19 pandemic, is not easy. Thus, it is essential for educational institutions to provide them with the support they need to improve the person-organization (P-O) fit. Drawing upon the data from the Nature's Global Survey initiated in 2021, this paper analyzed 2,424 effective samples from eleven countries in the world to investigate how P-O fit impacts researchers' job burnout in different countries and their career stages during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings show that both organizational support and P-O fit have significantly assisted researchers in all career stages to reduce job burnout. Moreover, P-O fit has a greater inhibitory effect on job burnout than organizational support. However, when resources are relatively scarce in some developing countries, it is more important to provide organizational support for researchers. Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of organizational support and reduce researchers' job burnout, those aspects which are less fit but helpful should be increased appropriately. Moreover, it implies that it would be significant to emphasize the differentiated and career-stage-sensitive resources and support to researchers in different countries in the post-pandemic era to improve researchers' well-being and organizational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present work is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research activities in a vast multidisciplinary academic community to identify the most critical issues. Method: To this purpose we planned a survey addressed to the entire academic research staff at "Sapienza" University of Rome, which represents the largest Italian academic community. A questionnaire consisting of both open and closed-ended questions was delivered to 4118 individuals in April 2021. Results: A total of 544 responses were collected. All academic roles were sufficiently represented in the study cohort. The median number of critical issues experienced by academic research staff was three. Among these, the three most frequently reported were related to: "Access to libraries / laboratories / research sites" (21.9%), "Limitation to stay abroad / study / research periods" (17.6%), "Progress of experimental work" (14.7%), with variable prevalence according to academic position and gender. Older subjects reported issues with "Projects' financial reporting" and "Expiration of acquired consumable material more frequently". The most common critical aspects reported in relation to the economic burden were: being "Unable to allocate funds" (31.4%), a "Reduction in clinical and scientific activity" (26.3%) and experiencing "Increased expenses (comprising private costs)" (21.2%) with no differences between genders. Researchers in Applied Sciences and Natural Sciences reported a higher frequency of problems in clinical and scientific activities, whereas increased expenses were reported also by researchers operating in the Humanities field. As a possible solution aimed at improving these issues, most subjects, especially those aged >45 years, indicated "Economic aid" (22.6%), "Reduction in bureaucracy" (19.9%) or "Enhancement of the scientific and clinical activities", whereas those aged ≤45 years felt that an increased duration and better access to PhD programs were to be prioritized. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the most critical issues related to research activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large academic community. The information achieved may be useful to identify researchers' needs and to design appropriate policies aimed at preparing research institutions for unexpected catastrophic events and limiting the negative impact on academic research activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a consensus group method used to synthesize expert opinions. Given the global shift to virtual meetings, the extent to which researchers leveraged virtual platforms is unclear. This scoping review explores the use of the vNGT in healthcare research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Following the Arksey and O'Malley's framework, eight cross-disciplinary databases were searched (January 2020-July 2022). Research articles that reported all four vNGT stages (idea generation, round robin sharing, clarification, voting) were included. Media Synchronicity Theory informed analysis. Corresponding authors were surveyed for additional information. Results: Of 2,589 citations, 32 references were included. Articles covered healthcare (27/32) and healthcare education (4/32). Platforms used most were Zoom, MS Teams and GoTo but was not reported in 44% of studies. Only 22% commented on the benefits/challenges of moving the NGT virtually. Among authors who responded to our survey (16/32), 80% felt that the vNGT was comparable or superior. Conclusions: The vNGT provides several advantages such as the inclusion of geographically dispersed participants, scheduling flexibility and cost savings. It is a promising alternative to the traditional in-person meeting, but researchers should carefully describe modifications, potential limitations, and impact on results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street View Images (SVI) are a common source of valuable data for researchers. Researchers have used SVI data for estimating pedestrian volumes, demographic surveillance, and to better understand built and natural environments in cityscapes. However, the most common source of publicly available SVI data is Google Street View. Google Street View images are collected infrequently, making temporal analysis challenging, especially in low population density areas. Our main contribution is the development of an open-source data pipeline for processing 360-degree video recorded from a car-mounted camera. The video data is used to generate SVIs, which then can be used as an input for longitudinal analysis. We demonstrate the use of the pipeline by collecting an SVI dataset over a 38-month longitudinal survey of Seattle, WA, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The output of our pipeline is validated through statistical analyses of pedestrian traffic in the images. We confirm known results in the literature and provide new insights into outdoor pedestrian traffic patterns. This study demonstrates the feasibility and value of collecting and using SVI for research purposes beyond what is possible with currently available SVI data. Our methods and dataset represent a first of its kind longitudinal collection and application of SVI data for research purposes. Limitations and future improvements to the data pipeline and case study are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Veterans Health Administration is chartered "to serve as the primary backup for any health care services needed...in the event of war or national emergency" according to a 1982 Congressional Act. This mission was invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic to divert clinical and research resources. We used an electronic mixed-methods questionnaire constructed using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation (COM-B) model for behavior change to study the effects of the pandemic on VHA researchers. The questionnaire was distributed electronically to 118 cancer researchers participating in national VHA collaborations. The questionnaire received 42 responses (36%). Only 36% did not feel that their research focus changed during the pandemic. Only 26% reported prior experience with infectious disease research, and 74% agreed that they gained new research skills. When asked to describe helpful support structures, 29% mentioned local supervisors, mentors, and research staff, 15% cited larger VHA organizations and 18% mentioned remote work. Lack of timely communication and remote work, particularly for individuals with caregiving responsibilities, were limiting factors. Fewer than half felt professionally rewarded for pursuing research related to COVID. This study demonstrated the tremendous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on research activities of VHA investigators. We identified perceptions of insufficient recognition and lack of professional advancement related to pandemic-era research, yet most reported gaining new research skills. Individualizing the structure of remote work and ensuring clear and timely team communication represent high yield areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]