Browsing by Subject "Peer review"

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    Open Access
    Are pre-compiled citation indexes of peer-reviewed journals an adequate control for research quality? A case study of library and information science
    (2005) Darch, Colin; Underwood, Peter G
    Looks at the South African Department of Education’s new recommendations for the evaluation of higher education research in South Africa, and examines two primary aspects: the use of pre-compiled journal lists from overseas, and the apparent reliance on peer review as a guarantee of quality. Pointing out that these are tried and tested standards of quality, the authors argue that there are nonetheless disciplinary differences between experimental sciences – such as physics or chemistry – and other disciplines that make these measures difficult to apply across the spectrum. They present an analysis of library and information science publications in the chosen lists and point to the weakness of the selection of titles in this discipline. In addition, there are extra difficulties for scientists from South Africa and the developing world in securing publication in premier international library and information science journals. The authors conclude by calling for the employment of other, additional evaluation measures in an integrated system.
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    Open Access
    Sexual dysfunction: A systematic review of South African research
    (2014) Campbell, Megan Michele; Stein, Dan J
    Background. The World Health Organisation is in the process of revising the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). Sexual dysfunction disorders (F52) categories have been identified as having poor clinical utility. South Africa (SA) has been selected as one of five low- and middle-income countries in which studies will be developed to assess the clinical utility of the proposed ICD-11 revisions for sexual dysfunctions. Objective. To identify scientific research generated in SA on sexual dysfunction disorders to guide these clinic-based field studies. Methods. A systematic review of SA research on the topic of sexual dysfunctions published in SA peer-reviewed medical journals. Results. Despite the high prevalence of ejaculatory and erectile dysfunctions, only five SA articles have addressed male sexual dysfunction in SA journals since 1970. Lack of sexual interest and inability to reach orgasm are the most commonly reported complaints for women, yet only four SA articles have been published on the topic of female dysfunction. Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, genitourinary disease and psychiatric or psychological disorders are common comorbid conditions associated with sexual dysfunction across sexes, but only nine articles address sexual dysfunction as the main topic with respect to comorbid conditions. Conclusion. Despite growing awareness of the importance of sexual health, SA-based scientific research on sexual dysfunction is limited. Further work is needed to inform recommendations for ICD-11 revisions drawn from the SA context.