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Introduction Research in palliative care (PC) is often regarded as challenging due to the vulnerability of the population and other peculiarities. We aim to systematically identify barriers to research in PC in the literature. Methods The electronic databases CINAHL, MEDLINE were searched for papers published in the last 25 years. Citations and then abstracts were screened for inclusion. Original papers were included on first-level analysis. On a second level reviews, reports, and position papers were analyzed. Papers containing a direct patient report were specifically analyzed. Barriers were categorized (ethical considerations, financial and time expenses, study design and methodology, human resources and politics) and results quantified. Results Twenty-one original papers and 65 other papers were included. Five studies involved patients directly, five were systematic reviews, three were study experiences, and seven were surveys or workshop reports. Most papers originated from UK, USA, or Norwegian Universities. Ethics and methods were the most often mentioned categories on both levels. Accrual, attrition, and gatekeeping were frequently named barriers. Complex invasive studies or possible side effects hinder patients' participation, as patients are often willing to participate for altruistic motivations. Discussion Barriers to PC research are ethical concerns and methodological challenges. Possible strategies to overcome methodological barriers include international collaborative efforts to include more patients and improve study designs. Ethical barriers indicate the need for patient involvement in the research development process and tailoring research specifically to the PC population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than two years ago Sir Tim Berners-Lee made the pronouncement that ‘Journalists need to be data-savvy … but now it's also going to be about poring over data and equipping yourself with the tools to analyse it and picking out what's interesting’. 5This new form of data-driven journalism appears to have been enthusiastically adopted – at least in the rhetoric of news discourse, according to which it is ‘rapidly becoming part of the establishment’. This analysis is a preliminary survey of data-based stories being presented in the national news in the UK, and lays the groundwork for an analysis and typology of the forms and formats of data journalism as a media practice. The analysis shows that while superficial data journalism is being practiced, it is limited in scope and format. No evidence was found of a commitment to data projects among the news outlets examined, and only one instance of recourse to the Freedom of Information Act was seen. Most data presented were superficial, and sourced from traditional outlets. Data journalism is practiced as much for its visual appeal as for its investigative qualities, and the overall impact, especially in the tabloid format is as much decorative as informative. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To demonstrate changes in the demography and diagnosis of uveitis in a specialist clinic in the United Kingdom. Retrieval of data including all new referrals to Manchester Uveitis Clinic from 1991 to 2020. The incidence and proportions of diagnoses between 4 quartiles was compared. 5000 patients with uveitis were seen. Referral rates trebled over time. Highly significant increases in referrals were seen for multiple evanescent white dot syndrome-spectrum disorders, syphilis and tuberculosis; increases were also seen for herpetic retinitis, vitreoretinal lymphoma and sarcoidosis. Highly significant decreases were seen for Fuchs' uveitis, Behçet's uveitis and ocular toxoplasmosis. Subspecialisation and de-skilling has changed referral patterns to specialist clinics; changes cannot be entirely attributed to disease incidences, which also vary between countries. International data are non-comparable. There are clear changes in referral patterns and disease incidence in this population, influenced by evolving diagnosis. Local data should steer care planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional repositories (IRs) are important research management tools that can give increased visibility to the institution’s scholarly outputs. Although statistics were previously available through the various repository interfaces, without an agreed standard it was not possible to measure usage across a range of IRs accurately. IRUS-UK is a national aggregation service, containing details of all content downloaded from participating IRs in the United Kingdom. Through collecting raw usage data and processing them into item-level usage statistics IRUS-UK provides comparable and authoritative standards-based data and also acts as an intermediary between UK repositories and other agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article concerns how higher education institutions across the United Kingdom are implementing systems and workflows in order to meet open access requirements for the next Research Excellence Framework. The way that institutions are preparing is not uniform, although there are key areas which require attention: cost management, advocacy, systems and metadata, structural workflows, and internal policy. Examples of preparative work in these areas are taken from institutions who have participated in the Open Access Good Practice initiative supported by Jisc. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]