Applying Metascientific Principles to Autism Research

Foreword
Preface
About the Book
Contents
About the Author
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Chapter 1: Introduction
	1.1 The Public’s Trust in Scientific Endeavours and Researchers
	1.2 Overview of Metascience
	1.3 Benefits of Metascience
		1.3.1 Reduce Article Retractions
		1.3.2 Prevent Flawed Research from Being Incorporated into Academic Disciplines
		1.3.3 Reducing the Wastage of Financial Resources
	1.4 Pedagogical Features in This Book
	1.5 Objective of This Book
	1.6 Summary of Upcoming Chapters
		1.6.1 Chapter 2: Preventing the Certification and Proliferation of Specious Research
		1.6.2 Chapter 3: Addressing the Reproducibility Crisis
		1.6.3 Chapter 4: Evaluating and Improving the Peer Review Process
		1.6.4 Chapter 5: Reducing Questionable Research Practices
		1.6.5 Chapter 6: Creating Studies That Are Respectful of Autistic Participants
	References
Chapter 2: Preventing the Certification and Proliferation of Specious Research
	2.1 The Creation of Predatory Publishers and Beall’s List
	2.2 Consequences of Predatory Publishers
		2.2.1 Corrupting Research
		2.2.2 Undermining the Training of Scholars
		2.2.3 Increased Email Correspondence to Academics
	2.3 Checklists and Flow Diagrams to Identify Predatory Journals
	2.4 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 3: Addressing the Reproducibility Crisis
	3.1 Defining Reproducibility
	3.2 Prevalence of Irreproducible Autism Research
	3.3 Strategies to Improve the Reproducibility of Autism Research
		3.3.1 Archiving Datasets
		3.3.2 Journal Requesting Datasets from Authors
		3.3.3 Open Science Badges
		3.3.4 Reforming Academic Hiring Practices to Promote Reproducible Research
		3.3.5 Pre-registering Studies
		3.3.6 Improving the Readability of a Study’s Methodology
		3.3.7 Requiring Researchers to Self-examine Their Previous Research
		3.3.8 Declaring All Conflicts of Interest
		3.3.9 Declaring all Sources of Funding
		3.3.10 Publicise Materials
		3.3.11 Creating a Journal That Only Publishes Replications of Autism Research
	3.4 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 4: Evaluating and Improving the Peer Review Process
	4.1 The Peer Review Process
	4.2 Drawback One: The Pervasive Incentives Placed on Academics to Publish Manuscripts
	4.3 Drawback Two: Publication Bias
	4.4 Drawback Three: Inconsistent Publishing Policies Between Journals
	4.5 Drawback Four: Redundancy in Repeating the Peer Review Process
	4.6 Drawback Five: Lack of Formal Education for Early Career Researchers About How to Peer Review a Manuscript
	4.7 Drawback Six: Inconsistent Reviews of the Entire Manuscript
	4.8 Drawback Seven: The Impacts of Unprofessional Comments by Peer Reviewers
	4.9 Drawback Eight: Ambiguity About Citing Preprinted Articles
	4.10 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 5: Reducing Questionable Research Practices
	5.1 Defining Questionable Research Practices
		5.1.1 Cherry Picking
		5.1.2 P-Hacking
		5.1.3 Hypothesising After Results Are Known
	5.2 Prevalence of Questionable Research Practices
	5.3 Factors That Can Create Questionable Research Practices
	5.4 Strategies to Reduce Questionable Research Practices
		5.4.1 Registering a Study’s Design
		5.4.2 Reforming Grant Awarding Agencies
		5.4.3 Educating Scholars About Questionable Research Practices
		5.4.4 Reforming the Holistic Process of Publishing Research
		5.4.5 Using Evidence-Based Language
		5.4.6 Reforming the Publish or Perish Culture
		5.4.7 Removing the Financial Incentives for Academic Publishing
		5.4.8 Creating an Independent Research Integrity Agency
		5.4.9 Developing a Confidential Reporting System
	5.5 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 6: Creating Studies That Are Respectful of Autistic Participants
	6.1 What Is Participatory Research?
		6.1.1 Cultivating and Maintaining Respect
		6.1.2 Establishing Authenticity
		6.1.3 Correcting False Assumptions
		6.1.4 Allocating Funding for Stakeholder Engagement
		6.1.5 Building Empathy Between Autistic Participants and Non-autistic Researchers
	6.2 Establishing an Audit Trail
	6.3 Establishing an Autism Advisory Panel
	6.4 Identifying Any Risks and Benefits with the Research
	6.5 Preparing for the Interview or Focus Group
		6.5.1 Preparing for the Interview
		6.5.2 Preparing for the Focus Group
		6.5.3 Giving the Participants the Interview or Focus Group Questions Before the Study
	6.6 Providing Support
	6.7 Signing the Consent Form
	6.8 Conducting the Interview or Focus Group
		6.8.1 Identify When Qualitative Research Interviews Are Appropriate
		6.8.2 Familiarise Yourself with the Topic
		6.8.3 Create an Interview Guide and Test the Questions
		6.8.4 Consider the Cultural and Power Dynamics of the Interview Situation
		6.8.5 Building Rapport with the Participants
		6.8.6 The Interviewer Is the Co-creator of the Data
		6.8.7 Talk Less and Listen More
		6.8.8 Adjusting the Interview Guide
		6.8.9 Prepare for Unanticipated Emotions
		6.8.10 Transcribe the Interviews in Good Time
		6.8.11 Check the Data
		6.8.12 Initiate the Analysis Early
	6.9 Recording the Interview Session or Focus Group
	6.10 Conducting Virtual Interviews
	6.11 Guides to Facilitate the Participation of Autistics in Research
	6.12 Conclusion
	References
Appendix A: Results from the PubMed Search
Appendix B: Open Science Badges Published by the Center for Open Science
Appendix C: AutismCRC Participatory and Inclusion Guidelines
	Participatory Research Practice Guide 1: Consulting with Autistic People in Research
		What Is Consultation?
		Methods of Consultation
		Practical Strategies for Consultation
	Participatory Research Practice Guide 2: Co-producing Research with Autistic People
		What Is Co-production?
		Principles of Co-production
		Guidelines for Including Autistic Adults as Co-researchers
		Practical Strategies for Co-production
		Reflective Questions
	Participatory Research Practice Guide 3: Supporting Autistic People to Produce Community-Led Research
		What Is Community-Led Research?
		Supporting Community-Led Research
	Inclusive Research Practice Guide 1: Involving Autistic People as Research Participants
		Involving Autistic People as Research Participants
		Recruitment
		Participant Information and Consent
		Planning Face-to-Face Research
		Sensory Considerations
		Planning Group Research
	Inclusive Research Practice Guide 2: Disseminating Research Findings
		What Is Dissemination?
		Dissemination Methods and Materials
		Planning for Dissemination
			Objective
			Audience
			Message
			Partners
			Resources
			Methods
			Materials
			Timing
			Risks
			Evaluation
		What Makes Dissemination Effective?
		Accessibility
		Reporting on Community Engagement
Index