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• What Is Peer Review? | Types & Examples

What Is Peer Review? | Types & Examples

Published on December 17, 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on June 22, 2023.

Peer review, sometimes referred to as refereeing , is the process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. Using strict criteria, a panel of reviewers in the same subject area decides whether to accept each submission for publication.

Peer-reviewed articles are considered a highly credible source due to the stringent process they go through before publication.

There are various types of peer review. The main difference between them is to what extent the authors, reviewers, and editors know each other’s identities. The most common types are:

• Single-blind review
• Double-blind review
• Triple-blind review

Collaborative review

Open review.

Relatedly, peer assessment is a process where your peers provide you with feedback on something you’ve written, based on a set of criteria or benchmarks from an instructor. They then give constructive feedback, compliments, or guidance to help you improve your draft.

Table of contents

What is the purpose of peer review, types of peer review, the peer review process, providing feedback to your peers, peer review example, advantages of peer review, criticisms of peer review, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about peer reviews.

Many academic fields use peer review, largely to determine whether a manuscript is suitable for publication. Peer review enhances the credibility of the manuscript. For this reason, academic journals are among the most credible sources you can refer to.

However, peer review is also common in non-academic settings. The United Nations, the European Union, and many individual nations use peer review to evaluate grant applications. It is also widely used in medical and health-related fields as a teaching or quality-of-care measure.

Peer assessment is often used in the classroom as a pedagogical tool. Both receiving feedback and providing it are thought to enhance the learning process, helping students think critically and collaboratively.

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Depending on the journal, there are several types of peer review.

Single-blind peer review

The most common type of peer review is single-blind (or single anonymized) review . Here, the names of the reviewers are not known by the author.

While this gives the reviewers the ability to give feedback without the possibility of interference from the author, there has been substantial criticism of this method in the last few years. Many argue that single-blind reviewing can lead to poaching or intellectual theft or that anonymized comments cause reviewers to be too harsh.

Double-blind peer review

In double-blind (or double anonymized) review , both the author and the reviewers are anonymous.

Arguments for double-blind review highlight that this mitigates any risk of prejudice on the side of the reviewer, while protecting the nature of the process. In theory, it also leads to manuscripts being published on merit rather than on the reputation of the author.

Triple-blind peer review

While triple-blind (or triple anonymized) review —where the identities of the author, reviewers, and editors are all anonymized—does exist, it is difficult to carry out in practice.

Proponents of adopting triple-blind review for journal submissions argue that it minimizes potential conflicts of interest and biases. However, ensuring anonymity is logistically challenging, and current editing software is not always able to fully anonymize everyone involved in the process.

In collaborative review , authors and reviewers interact with each other directly throughout the process. However, the identity of the reviewer is not known to the author. This gives all parties the opportunity to resolve any inconsistencies or contradictions in real time, and provides them a rich forum for discussion. It can mitigate the need for multiple rounds of editing and minimize back-and-forth.

Collaborative review can be time- and resource-intensive for the journal, however. For these collaborations to occur, there has to be a set system in place, often a technological platform, with staff monitoring and fixing any bugs or glitches.

Lastly, in open review , all parties know each other’s identities throughout the process. Often, open review can also include feedback from a larger audience, such as an online forum, or reviewer feedback included as part of the final published product.

While many argue that greater transparency prevents plagiarism or unnecessary harshness, there is also concern about the quality of future scholarship if reviewers feel they have to censor their comments.

In general, the peer review process includes the following steps:

• First, the author submits the manuscript to the editor.
• Reject the manuscript and send it back to the author, or
• Send it onward to the selected peer reviewer(s)
• Next, the peer review process occurs. The reviewer provides feedback, addressing any major or minor issues with the manuscript, and gives their advice regarding what edits should be made.
• Lastly, the edited manuscript is sent back to the author. They input the edits and resubmit it to the editor for publication.

In an effort to be transparent, many journals are now disclosing who reviewed each article in the published product. There are also increasing opportunities for collaboration and feedback, with some journals allowing open communication between reviewers and authors.

It can seem daunting at first to conduct a peer review or peer assessment. If you’re not sure where to start, there are several best practices you can use.

Summarize the argument in your own words

Summarizing the main argument helps the author see how their argument is interpreted by readers, and gives you a jumping-off point for providing feedback. If you’re having trouble doing this, it’s a sign that the argument needs to be clearer, more concise, or worded differently.

If the author sees that you’ve interpreted their argument differently than they intended, they have an opportunity to address any misunderstandings when they get the manuscript back.

Separate your feedback into major and minor issues

It can be challenging to keep feedback organized. One strategy is to start out with any major issues and then flow into the more minor points. It’s often helpful to keep your feedback in a numbered list, so the author has concrete points to refer back to.

Major issues typically consist of any problems with the style, flow, or key points of the manuscript. Minor issues include spelling errors, citation errors, or other smaller, easy-to-apply feedback.

Tip: Try not to focus too much on the minor issues. If the manuscript has a lot of typos, consider making a note that the author should address spelling and grammar issues, rather than going through and fixing each one.

The best feedback you can provide is anything that helps them strengthen their argument or resolve major stylistic issues.

Give the type of feedback that you would like to receive

No one likes being criticized, and it can be difficult to give honest feedback without sounding overly harsh or critical. One strategy you can use here is the “compliment sandwich,” where you “sandwich” your constructive criticism between two compliments.

Be sure you are giving concrete, actionable feedback that will help the author submit a successful final draft. While you shouldn’t tell them exactly what they should do, your feedback should help them resolve any issues they may have overlooked.

As a rule of thumb, your feedback should be:

• Easy to understand
• Constructive

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Below is a brief annotated research example. You can view examples of peer feedback by hovering over the highlighted sections.

Influence of phone use on sleep

Studies show that teens from the US are getting less sleep than they were a decade ago (Johnson, 2019) . On average, teens only slept for 6 hours a night in 2021, compared to 8 hours a night in 2011. Johnson mentions several potential causes, such as increased anxiety, changed diets, and increased phone use.

The current study focuses on the effect phone use before bedtime has on the number of hours of sleep teens are getting.

For this study, a sample of 300 teens was recruited using social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. The first week, all teens were allowed to use their phone the way they normally would, in order to obtain a baseline.

The sample was then divided into 3 groups:

• Group 1 was not allowed to use their phone before bedtime.
• Group 2 used their phone for 1 hour before bedtime.
• Group 3 used their phone for 3 hours before bedtime.

All participants were asked to go to sleep around 10 p.m. to control for variation in bedtime . In the morning, their Fitbit showed the number of hours they’d slept. They kept track of these numbers themselves for 1 week.

Two independent t tests were used in order to compare Group 1 and Group 2, and Group 1 and Group 3. The first t test showed no significant difference ( p > .05) between the number of hours for Group 1 ( M = 7.8, SD = 0.6) and Group 2 ( M = 7.0, SD = 0.8). The second t test showed a significant difference ( p < .01) between the average difference for Group 1 ( M = 7.8, SD = 0.6) and Group 3 ( M = 6.1, SD = 1.5).

This shows that teens sleep fewer hours a night if they use their phone for over an hour before bedtime, compared to teens who use their phone for 0 to 1 hours.

Peer review is an established and hallowed process in academia, dating back hundreds of years. It provides various fields of study with metrics, expectations, and guidance to ensure published work is consistent with predetermined standards.

• Protects the quality of published research

Peer review can stop obviously problematic, falsified, or otherwise untrustworthy research from being published. Any content that raises red flags for reviewers can be closely examined in the review stage, preventing plagiarized or duplicated research from being published.

• Gives you access to feedback from experts in your field

Peer review represents an excellent opportunity to get feedback from renowned experts in your field and to improve your writing through their feedback and guidance. Experts with knowledge about your subject matter can give you feedback on both style and content, and they may also suggest avenues for further research that you hadn’t yet considered.

• Helps you identify any weaknesses in your argument

Peer review acts as a first defense, helping you ensure your argument is clear and that there are no gaps, vague terms, or unanswered questions for readers who weren’t involved in the research process. This way, you’ll end up with a more robust, more cohesive article.

While peer review is a widely accepted metric for credibility, it’s not without its drawbacks.

• Reviewer bias

The more transparent double-blind system is not yet very common, which can lead to bias in reviewing. A common criticism is that an excellent paper by a new researcher may be declined, while an objectively lower-quality submission by an established researcher would be accepted.

• Delays in publication

The thoroughness of the peer review process can lead to significant delays in publishing time. Research that was current at the time of submission may not be as current by the time it’s published. There is also high risk of publication bias , where journals are more likely to publish studies with positive findings than studies with negative findings.

• Risk of human error

By its very nature, peer review carries a risk of human error. In particular, falsification often cannot be detected, given that reviewers would have to replicate entire experiments to ensure the validity of results.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Thematic analysis
• Discourse analysis
• Cohort study
• Ethnography

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Conformity bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Availability heuristic
• Attrition bias
• Social desirability bias

Peer review is a process of evaluating submissions to an academic journal. Utilizing rigorous criteria, a panel of reviewers in the same subject area decide whether to accept each submission for publication. For this reason, academic journals are often considered among the most credible sources you can use in a research project– provided that the journal itself is trustworthy and well-regarded.

In general, the peer review process follows the following steps: 

• Reject the manuscript and send it back to author, or 
• Send it onward to the selected peer reviewer(s) 
• Next, the peer review process occurs. The reviewer provides feedback, addressing any major or minor issues with the manuscript, and gives their advice regarding what edits should be made. 
• Lastly, the edited manuscript is sent back to the author. They input the edits, and resubmit it to the editor for publication.

Peer review can stop obviously problematic, falsified, or otherwise untrustworthy research from being published. It also represents an excellent opportunity to get feedback from renowned experts in your field. It acts as a first defense, helping you ensure your argument is clear and that there are no gaps, vague terms, or unanswered questions for readers who weren’t involved in the research process.

Peer-reviewed articles are considered a highly credible source due to this stringent process they go through before publication.

Many academic fields use peer review , largely to determine whether a manuscript is suitable for publication. Peer review enhances the credibility of the published manuscript.

However, peer review is also common in non-academic settings. The United Nations, the European Union, and many individual nations use peer review to evaluate grant applications. It is also widely used in medical and health-related fields as a teaching or quality-of-care measure. 

A credible source should pass the CRAAP test  and follow these guidelines:

• The information should be up to date and current.
• The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching.
• The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased.
• For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy.

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Articles: Finding (and Identifying) Peer-Reviewed Articles: What is Peer Review?

• What is Peer Review?
• Finding Peer Reviewed Articles
• Databases That Can Determine Peer Review

Peer Review in 3 Minutes

What is "Peer-Review"?

What are they.

Scholarly articles are papers that describe a research study. 

Why are scholarly articles useful?

They report original research projects that have been reviewed by other experts before they are accepted for publication, so you can reasonably be assured that they contain valid information. 

How do you identify scholarly or peer-reviewed articles?

• They are usually fairly lengthy - most likely at least 7-10 pages
• The authors and their credentials should be identified, at least the company or university where the author is employed
• There is usually a list of References or Works Cited at the end of the paper, listing the sources that the authors used in their research

How do you find them? 

Some of the library's databases contain scholarly articles, either exclusively or in combination with other types of articles. 

Google Scholar is another option for searching for scholarly articles. 

Know the Difference Between Scholarly and Popular Journals/Magazines

Peer reviewed articles are found in scholarly journals.  The checklist below can help you determine if what you are looking at is peer reviewed or scholarly.

• Both kinds of journals and magazines can be useful sources of information.
• Popular magazines and newspapers are good for overviews, recent news, first-person accounts, and opinions about a topic.
• Scholarly journals, often called scientific or peer-reviewed journals, are good sources of actual studies or research conducted about a particular topic. They go through a process of review by experts, so the information is usually highly reliable.

• Next: Finding Peer Reviewed Articles >>
• Last Updated: May 21, 2024 8:45 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usu.edu/peer-review

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Finding Scholarly Articles: Home

What's a Scholarly Article?

Your professor has specified that you are to use scholarly (or primary research or peer-reviewed or refereed or academic) articles only in your paper. What does that mean?

Scholarly or primary research articles are peer-reviewed , which means that they have gone through the process of being read by reviewers or referees  before being accepted for publication. When a scholar submits an article to a scholarly journal, the manuscript is sent to experts in that field to read and decide if the research is valid and the article should be published. Typically the reviewers indicate to the journal editors whether they think the article should be accepted, sent back for revisions, or rejected.

To decide whether an article is a primary research article, look for the following:

• The author’s (or authors') credentials and academic affiliation(s) should be given;
• There should be an abstract summarizing the research;
• The methods and materials used should be given, often in a separate section;
• There are citations within the text or footnotes referencing sources used;
• Results of the research are given;
• There should be discussion   and  conclusion ;
• With a bibliography or list of references at the end.

Caution: even though a journal may be peer-reviewed, not all the items in it will be. For instance, there might be editorials, book reviews, news reports, etc. Check for the parts of the article to be sure.   

You can limit your search results to primary research, peer-reviewed or refereed articles in many databases. To search for scholarly articles in  HOLLIS , type your keywords in the box at the top, and select  Catalog&Articles  from the choices that appear next.   On the search results screen, look for the  Show Only section on the right and click on  Peer-reviewed articles . (Make sure to  login in with your HarvardKey to get full-text of the articles that Harvard has purchased.)

Many of the databases that Harvard offers have similar features to limit to peer-reviewed or scholarly articles.  For example in Academic Search Premier , click on the box for Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals  on the search screen.

Review articles are another great way to find scholarly primary research articles.   Review articles are not considered "primary research", but they pull together primary research articles on a topic, summarize and analyze them.  In Google Scholar , click on Review Articles  at the left of the search results screen. Ask your professor whether review articles can be cited for an assignment.

A note about Google searching.  A regular Google search turns up a broad variety of results, which can include scholarly articles but Google results also contain commercial and popular sources which may be misleading, outdated, etc.  Use Google Scholar  through the Harvard Library instead.

About Wikipedia .  W ikipedia is not considered scholarly, and should not be cited, but it frequently includes references to scholarly articles. Before using those references for an assignment, double check by finding them in Hollis or a more specific subject  database .

Still not sure about a source? Consult the course syllabus for guidance, contact your professor or teaching fellow, or use the Ask A Librarian service.

• Last Updated: Oct 3, 2023 3:37 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/FindingScholarlyArticles

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rworkflows : automating reproducible practices for the R community

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Reply: Matters Arising ‘Investigating sources of inaccuracy in wearable optical heart rate sensors’

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The effect of publishing peer review reports on referee behavior in five scholarly journals

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News and Comment

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Types of Peer Review

Peer review is “a process where scientists (“peers”) evaluate the quality of other scientists’ work. By doing this, they aim to ensure the work is rigorous, coherent, uses past research and adds to what we already know.” This quote comes from an explainer on The Conversation, which you can read here . 

Peer review brings academic research to publication in the following ways:

• Evaluation – Peer reviewing research helps publications select the highest quality articles.
• Integrity – Peer review ensures the integrity of the publishing process and the scholarly record.
• Quality – The filtering process and revision advice offered by verified experts within the academic field improves the quality of the final article, as well as providing the author with new insights into their research.

Types of peer review

• Single-anonymized  – The name of the reviewer is hidden from the author.
• Double-anonymized  – Names are hidden from reviewers and authors.
• Triple-anonymized  – Names are hidden from authors, reviewers, and the publication’s editor.
• Open peer review – At Sage we offer open peer review on some journals through our Transparent Peer Review program , whereby reviews are published alongside articles. The names of the reviewers may also be published, depending on the reviewers’ preference.
• Post publication peer review  – This involves an ongoing discussion of the research conducted via an open forum between the scientific community. It is the least common type of peer review and is not appropriate in all fields.

To learn more about the different types of peer review, see page 14 of Peer Review: The Nuts and Bolts of Peer Review , from Sense about Science.

A full list of Sage’s journals can be found here . Each journal will have its own set of instructions and submission guidelines for authors, so please double check the manuscript submission guidelines of the journal you are reviewing for in order to ensure that you understand the method of peer review being used.

• Journal Author Gateway
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Peer Review in Scientific Publications: Benefits, Critiques, & A Survival Guide

Affiliations.

• 1 Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• 2 Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Chair, Communications and Publications Division (CPD), International Federation for Sick Clinical Chemistry (IFCC), Milan, Italy.
• PMID: 27683470
• PMCID: PMC4975196

Peer review has been defined as a process of subjecting an author's scholarly work, research or ideas to the scrutiny of others who are experts in the same field. It functions to encourage authors to meet the accepted high standards of their discipline and to control the dissemination of research data to ensure that unwarranted claims, unacceptable interpretations or personal views are not published without prior expert review. Despite its wide-spread use by most journals, the peer review process has also been widely criticised due to the slowness of the process to publish new findings and due to perceived bias by the editors and/or reviewers. Within the scientific community, peer review has become an essential component of the academic writing process. It helps ensure that papers published in scientific journals answer meaningful research questions and draw accurate conclusions based on professionally executed experimentation. Submission of low quality manuscripts has become increasingly prevalent, and peer review acts as a filter to prevent this work from reaching the scientific community. The major advantage of a peer review process is that peer-reviewed articles provide a trusted form of scientific communication. Since scientific knowledge is cumulative and builds on itself, this trust is particularly important. Despite the positive impacts of peer review, critics argue that the peer review process stifles innovation in experimentation, and acts as a poor screen against plagiarism. Despite its downfalls, there has not yet been a foolproof system developed to take the place of peer review, however, researchers have been looking into electronic means of improving the peer review process. Unfortunately, the recent explosion in online only/electronic journals has led to mass publication of a large number of scientific articles with little or no peer review. This poses significant risk to advances in scientific knowledge and its future potential. The current article summarizes the peer review process, highlights the pros and cons associated with different types of peer review, and describes new methods for improving peer review.

Keywords: journal; manuscript; open access; peer review; publication.

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Overview of the review process

How a peer review evaluates…

How a peer review evaluates a manuscript

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Evaluating Resources: Peer Review

What is peer review.

The term peer review can be confusing, since in some of your courses you may be asked to review the work of your peers. When we talk about peer-reviewed journal articles, this has nothing to do with your peers!

Peer-reviewed journals, also called refereed journals, are journals that use a specific scholarly review process to try to ensure the accuracy and reliability of published articles. When an article is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, the journal sends the article to other scholars/experts in that field and has them review the article for accuracy and reliability.

Find out more about peer review with our Peer Review Guide:

• Peer Review Guide

Types of peer review

Single blind.

In this process, the names of the reviewers are not known to the author(s). The reviewers do know the name of the author(s).

Double blind

Here, neither reviewers or authors know each other's names.

In the open review process, both reviewers and authors know each other's names.

What about editorial review?

Journals also use an editorial review process. This is not the same as peer review. In an editorial review process an article is evaluated for style guidelines and for clarity. Reviewers here do not look at technical accuracy or errors in data or methodology, but instead look at grammar, style, and whether an article is well written.

What is the difference between scholarly and peer review?

Not all scholarly journals are peer reviewed, but all peer-reviewed journals are scholarly.

• Things that are written for a scholarly or academic audience are considered scholarly writing.
• Peer-reviewed journals are a part of the larger category of scholarly writing.
• Scholarly writing includes many resources that are not peer reviewed, such as books, textbooks, and dissertations.

Scholarly writing does not come with a label that says scholarly . You will need to evaluate the resource to see if it is

• aimed at a scholarly audience
• reporting research, theories or other types of information important to scholars
• documenting and citing sources used to help authenticate the research done

The standard peer review process only applies to journals. While scholarly writing has certainly been edited and reviewed, peer review is a specific process only used by peer-reviewed journals. Books and dissertations may be scholarly, but are not considered peer reviewed.

Check out Select the Right Source for help with what kinds of resources are appropriate for discussion posts, assignments, projects, and more:

• Select the Right Source

How do I locate or verify peer-reviewed articles?

The peer review process is initiated by the journal publisher before an article is even published. Nowhere in the article will it tell you whether or not the article has gone through a peer review process.

You can locate peer-reviewed articles in the Library databases, typically by checking a limiter box.

• Quick Answer: How do I find scholarly, peer reviewed journal articles?

You can verify whether a journal uses a peer review process by using Ulrich's Periodicals Directory.

• Quick Answer: How do I verify that my article is peer reviewed?

What about resources that are not peer-reviewed?

Limiting your search to peer review is a way that you can ensure that you're looking at scholarly journal articles, and not popular or trade publications. Because peer-reviewed articles have been vetted by experts in the field, they are viewed as being held to a higher standard, and therefore are considered to be a high quality source. Professors often prefer peer-reviewed articles because they are considered to be of higher quality.

There are times, though, when the information you need may not be available in a peer-reviewed article.

• You may need to find original work on a theory that was first published in a book.
• You may need to find very current statistical data that comes from a government website.
• You may need background information that comes from a scholarly encyclopedia.

You will want to evaluate these resources to make sure that they are the best source for the information you need.

Note: If you are required for an assignment to find information from a peer-reviewed journal, then you will not be able to use non-peer-reviewed sources such as books, dissertations, or government websites. It's always best to clarify any questions over assignments with your professor.

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Peer Review: An Introduction: Where to Find Peer Reviewed Sources

• Why not just use Google or Wikipedia?
• Where to Find Peer Reviewed Sources
• Where to Get More Help

Need More Help?

Have more questions? Contact Scholarly Communication and Publishing at [email protected]   for more information and guidance.

Ask a Librarian

The Ask a Librarian service for general reference is available during all of the hours when the Main Library is open. Visit the  Ask a Librarian  page to chat with a librarian.

Why is it so hard to find Peer-Reviewed Sources?

It isn't hard to find peer-reviewed sources: you just need to know where to look!  If you start in the right place, you can usually find a relevant, peer-reviewed source for your research in as few clicks as a Google search, and you can even use many of the search techniques you use in Google and Wikipedia.

The easiest way to find a peer-reviewed article is by using one of the Library's numerous databases. All of the Library's databases are listed in the Online Journals and Databases index. The databases are divided by name and discipline.

Departmental libraries and library subject guides have created subject-focused lists of electronic and print research resources that are useful for their disciplines. You can search the library directory  for links to the departmental libraries at the University of Illinois Library, or search library websites by college  if you're not sure which departmental library serves your subject.

Peer-Reviewed Resources for Disciplinary Topics

There are numerous print and digital resources for specific disciplines, areas of study, and specialist fields.  To find research resources and databases for your area, consult the comprehensive directory of LibGuides , the websites of specialist libraries, and above all, contact a librarian for help !

Here are a few major databases for finding peer-reviewed research sources in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences:

• MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window Indexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. Proved access to citations from worldwide publications, including periodicals, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies. Use MLA International Bibliography in the NEW EBSCO user interface . more... less... Alternate Access Link
• Web of Science (Core Collection) This link opens in a new window Web of Science indexes core journal articles, conference proceedings, data sets, and other resources in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.

A scholarly, multidisciplinary database providing indexing and abstracts for over 10,000 publications, including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, and others. Also includes full-text access to over 5,000 journals. Offers coverage of many areas of academic study including: archaeology, area studies, astronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, electrical engineering, ethnic & multicultural studies, food science & technology, general science, geography, geology, law, mathematics, mechanical engineering, music, physics, psychology, religion & theology, women's studies, and other fields. 

Alternate Access Link  

• IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window Provides full-text access to IEEE transactions, IEEE and IEE journals, magazines, and conference proceedings published since 1988, and all current IEEE standards; brings additional search and access features to IEEE/IEE digital library users. Browsable by books & e-books, conference publications, education and learning, journals and magazines, standards and by topic. Also provides links to IEEE standards, IEEE spectrum and other sites.
• Scopus This link opens in a new window Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database including peer-reviewed titles from international publishers, Open Access journals, conference proceedings, trade publications and quality web sources. Subject coverage includes: Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Engineering; Life and Health Sciences; Social Sciences, Psychology and Economics; Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
• Business Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window Provides bibliographic and full text content, including indexing and abstracts for scholarly business journals back as far as 1886 and full text journal articles in all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. The database full text content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more. Use Business Source Ultimate in the NEW EBSCO user interface . more... less... Alternate Access Link
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Research Guides

Understanding peer review, peer review is...., is your journal article peer-reviewed, limit your search results to peer-reviewed articles, is everything in a peer-reviewed journal peer-reviewed, peer review process.

Get research help from anywhere! Select the "Ask! Chat with a librarian" icon to start a chat session. We can help you:

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• the process by which scholars critically appraise each other's work to ensure a high level of scholarship in a journal and to improve the quality and readability of a manuscript. 
• applied to both primary articles (i.e. articles which present findings from original research) and review articles that summarize primary research. 

Note:    'Peer reviewed' and 'refereed' are synonyms .

How do you know if an article is from a peer-reviewed journal? Some databases allow you to limit your search to peer-reviewed journals. For other databases, you need to look up the title of the journal in Ulrich's Directory. 

1. Go to Ulrich's.

2. Type the JOURNAL TITLE ( not the article title ) into the search box, and click the green search button. Look for the journal title in your search results.

3. In the search results, look for a referee jersey icon to indicate that a journal is refereed. Refereed means the same as peer reviewed.

4. The Journal of Infectious Diseases is peer reviewed.  

REMEMBER:   It's the journal that's peer reviewed/refereed, so you are looking for the journal title in your search results, NOT the article title.

Many library databases include  a peer-reviewed filter which you can select to limits your search results to articles published in scholarly journals that use a peer-review editorial process  Find examples below. Questions?   Ask for assistance at your library.     

LibrarySearch

• Submit your search in  UofT LibrarySearch  and select "Peer-reviewed Articles" from the filter options on the left side of the screen. 

Submit your search in  Proquest  and select "Peer-reviewed Articles" from the filter options on the left side of the screen.

Not necessarily.   It is also possible that some contents of a peer reviewed journal will not have been peer reviewed.

For example, editorials may not be peer reviewed but research articles generally will be. This varies from journal to journal; look for "about the journal" or "instructions to authors"  or "journal homepage" for guidance on this.   See the following examples:

• see the statement on peer review at Science ("...only some of the papers are reviewed in depth....")
• see the statement on peer review at Nature ("...the following types of contribution...are peer reviewed...other contributed articles are not usually peer reviewed...."). Note especially the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs.

When the manuscript of an article is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, independent experts are asked to read and comment on the manuscript. If approved by the reviewers, the manuscript is accepted for publication as an article in the journal.   

Journals have different peer review standards and procedures but there are a few main types:

• Most peer review is double-blind, which means that neither the reviewers nor the authors know each other's identities.
• Single-blind i s a variation where the reviewer knows who the author is, but the author does not know the reviewer.
• Open review refers to a process in which the reviewer's comments and author's replies are openly discussed before formal publication.

Every journal describes their specific peer review process in the author guidelines section of their website.  

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The Peer Review Process

So you need to use scholarly, peer-reviewed articles for an assignment...what does that mean? 

Peer review  is a process for evaluating research studies before they are published by an academic journal. These studies typically communicate  original research  or analysis for other researchers. 

The Peer Review Process at a Glance:

Looking for peer-reviewed articles?  Try searching in OneSearch or a library database  and look for options to limit your results to scholarly/peer-reviewed or academic journals. Check out this brief tutorial to show you how:   How to Locate a Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Article

Part 1: Watch the Video

Part 1: watch the video all about peer review (3 min.) and reflect on discussion questions..

Discussion Questions

After watching the video, reflect on the following questions:

• According to the video, what are some of the pros and cons of the peer review process?
• Why is the peer review process important to scholarship?
• Do you think peer reviewers should be paid for their work? Why or why not?

Part 2: Practice

Part 2: take an interactive tutorial on reading a research article for your major..

Includes a certification of completion to download and upload to Canvas.

Social Sciences

(e.g. Psychology, Sociology)

(e.g. Health Science, Biology)

Arts & Humanities

(e.g. Visual & Media Arts, Cultural Studies, Literature, History)

Click on the handout to view in a new tab, download, or print.

For Instructors

• Teaching Peer Review for Instructors

In class or for homework, watch the video “All About Peer Review” (3 min.) .

Video discussion questions:

• According to the video, what are some of the pros and cons of the peer review process

Assignment Ideas

• Ask students to conduct their own peer review of an important journal article in your field. Ask them to reflect on the process. What was hard to critique?
• Have students examine a journals’ web page with information for authors. What information is given to the author about the peer review process for this journal?
• Assign this reading by CSUDH faculty member Terry McGlynn, "Should journals pay for manuscript reviews?" What is the author's argument? Who profits the most from published research? You could also hold a debate with one side for paying reviewers and the other side against.
• Search a database like Cabell’s for information on the journal submission process for a particular title or subject. How long does peer review take for a particular title? Is it is a blind review? How many reviewers are solicited? What is their acceptance rate?
• Assign short readings that address peer review models. We recommend this issue of Nature on peer review debate and open review and this Chronicle of Higher Education article on open review in Shakespeare Quarterly .

Proof of Completion

Mix and match this suite of instructional materials for your course needs!

Questions about integrating a graded online component into your class, contact the Online Learning Librarian, Rebecca Nowicki ( [email protected] ).

Example of a certificate of completion:

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Reading Academic Articles

Reading academic articles is challenging.

First pass: 

• Read the abstract, introduction, and discussion/conclusion
• Is this article relevant and useful for your project?

Second pass 

• Read the methods and results section
• Even if you don't understand everything in these sections, can you understand how the author(s) arrived at their conclusion?

Many people use "academic" or "scholarly" sources to mean the same thing as peer-reviewed sources.

Peer-reviewed articles are papers that are reviewed by  a panel of experts prior to acceptance and publication

• reviewers often evaluate the  validity ,  significance , and  originality  of a work

As a result, the quality of peer-review articles is generally viewed as high.

• Google the journal title. Look at the journal homepage or Wikipedia for details.
• Look for a "peer reviewed" symbol in a library database. For example, in OneSearch you can see if an article is published in a peer reviewed journal by the symbol. 

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• v.12(6); 2020 Jun

Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Fazida karim.

1 Psychology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

2 Business & Management, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, MYS

Azeezat A Oyewande

3 Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

4 Family Medicine, Lagos State Health Service Commission/Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos, NGA

Lamis F Abdalla

5 Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Reem Chaudhry Ehsanullah

Safeera khan.

Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were evaluated for quality. Eight papers were cross-sectional studies, three were longitudinal studies, two were qualitative studies, and others were systematic reviews. Findings were classified into two outcomes of mental health: anxiety and depression. Social media activity such as time spent to have a positive effect on the mental health domain. However, due to the cross-sectional design and methodological limitations of sampling, there are considerable differences. The structure of social media influences on mental health needs to be further analyzed through qualitative research and vertical cohort studies.

Introduction and background

Human beings are social creatures that require the companionship of others to make progress in life. Thus, being socially connected with other people can relieve stress, anxiety, and sadness, but lack of social connection can pose serious risks to mental health [ 1 ].

Social media

Social media has recently become part of people's daily activities; many of them spend hours each day on Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, and other popular social media. Thus, many researchers and scholars study the impact of social media and applications on various aspects of people’s lives [ 2 ]. Moreover, the number of social media users worldwide in 2019 is 3.484 billion, up 9% year-on-year [ 3 - 5 ]. A statistic in Figure  1  shows the gender distribution of social media audiences worldwide as of January 2020, sorted by platform. It was found that only 38% of Twitter users were male but 61% were using Snapchat. In contrast, females were more likely to use LinkedIn and Facebook. There is no denying that social media has now become an important part of many people's lives. Social media has many positive and enjoyable benefits, but it can also lead to mental health problems. Previous research found that age did not have an effect but gender did; females were much more likely to experience mental health than males [ 6 , 7 ].

Impact on mental health

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities [ 8 ]. There is debated presently going on regarding the benefits and negative impacts of social media on mental health [ 9 , 10 ]. Social networking is a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Both the quantity and quality of social relationships affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk [ 9 ]. The Displaced Behavior Theory may help explain why social media shows a connection with mental health. According to the theory, people who spend more time in sedentary behaviors such as social media use have less time for face-to-face social interaction, both of which have been proven to be protective against mental disorders [ 11 , 12 ]. On the other hand, social theories found how social media use affects mental health by influencing how people view, maintain, and interact with their social network [ 13 ]. A number of studies have been conducted on the impacts of social media, and it has been indicated that the prolonged use of social media platforms such as Facebook may be related to negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [ 10 - 15 ]. Furthermore, social media can create a lot of pressure to create the stereotype that others want to see and also being as popular as others.

The need for a systematic review

Systematic studies can quantitatively and qualitatively identify, aggregate, and evaluate all accessible data to generate a warm and accurate response to the research questions involved [ 4 ]. In addition, many existing systematic studies related to mental health studies have been conducted worldwide. However, only a limited number of studies are integrated with social media and conducted in the context of social science because the available literature heavily focused on medical science [ 6 ]. Because social media is a relatively new phenomenon, the potential links between their use and mental health have not been widely investigated.

This paper attempt to systematically review all the relevant literature with the aim of filling the gap by examining social media impact on mental health, which is sedentary behavior, which, if in excess, raises the risk of health problems [ 7 , 9 , 12 ]. This study is important because it provides information on the extent of the focus of peer review literature, which can assist the researchers in delivering a prospect with the aim of understanding the future attention related to climate change strategies that require scholarly attention. This study is very useful because it provides information on the extent to which peer review literature can assist researchers in presenting prospects with a view to understanding future concerns related to mental health strategies that require scientific attention. The development of the current systematic review is based on the main research question: how does social media affect mental health?

Research strategy

The research was conducted to identify studies analyzing the role of social media on mental health. Google Scholar was used as our main database to find the relevant articles. Keywords that were used for the search were: (1) “social media”, (2) “mental health”, (3) “social media” AND “mental health”, (4) “social networking” AND “mental health”, and (5) “social networking” OR “social media” AND “mental health” (Table  1 ).

Out of the results in Table  1 , a total of 50 articles relevant to the research question were selected. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, duplicate papers were removed, and, finally, a total of 28 articles were selected for review (Figure  2 ).

PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Peer-reviewed, full-text research papers from the past five years were included in the review. All selected articles were in English language and any non-peer-reviewed and duplicate papers were excluded from finally selected articles.

Of the 16 selected research papers, there were a research focus on adults, gender, and preadolescents [ 10 - 19 ]. In the design, there were qualitative and quantitative studies [ 15 , 16 ]. There were three systematic reviews and one thematic analysis that explored the better or worse of using social media among adolescents [ 20 - 23 ]. In addition, eight were cross-sectional studies and only three were longitudinal studies [ 24 - 29 ].The meta-analyses included studies published beyond the last five years in this population. Table  2  presents a selection of studies from the review.

IGU, internet gaming disorder; PSMU, problematic social media use

This study has attempted to systematically analyze the existing literature on the effect of social media use on mental health. Although the results of the study were not completely consistent, this review found a general association between social media use and mental health issues. Although there is positive evidence for a link between social media and mental health, the opposite has been reported.

For example, a previous study found no relationship between the amount of time spent on social media and depression or between social media-related activities, such as the number of online friends and the number of “selfies”, and depression [ 29 ]. Similarly, Neira and Barber found that while higher investment in social media (e.g. active social media use) predicted adolescents’ depressive symptoms, no relationship was found between the frequency of social media use and depressed mood [ 28 ].

In the 16 studies, anxiety and depression were the most commonly measured outcome. The prominent risk factors for anxiety and depression emerging from this study comprised time spent, activity, and addiction to social media. In today's world, anxiety is one of the basic mental health problems. People liked and commented on their uploaded photos and videos. In today's age, everyone is immune to the social media context. Some teens experience anxiety from social media related to fear of loss, which causes teens to try to respond and check all their friends' messages and messages on a regular basis.

On the contrary, depression is one of the unintended significances of unnecessary use of social media. In detail, depression is limited not only to Facebooks but also to other social networking sites, which causes psychological problems. A new study found that individuals who are involved in social media, games, texts, mobile phones, etc. are more likely to experience depression.

The previous study found a 70% increase in self-reported depressive symptoms among the group using social media. The other social media influence that causes depression is sexual fun [ 12 ]. The intimacy fun happens when social media promotes putting on a facade that highlights the fun and excitement but does not tell us much about where we are struggling in our daily lives at a deeper level [ 28 ]. Another study revealed that depression and time spent on Facebook by adolescents are positively correlated [ 22 ]. More importantly, symptoms of major depression have been found among the individuals who spent most of their time in online activities and performing image management on social networking sites [ 14 ].

Another study assessed gender differences in associations between social media use and mental health. Females were found to be more addicted to social media as compared with males [ 26 ]. Passive activity in social media use such as reading posts is more strongly associated with depression than doing active use like making posts [ 23 ]. Other important findings of this review suggest that other factors such as interpersonal trust and family functioning may have a greater influence on the symptoms of depression than the frequency of social media use [ 28 , 29 ].

Limitation and suggestion

The limitations and suggestions were identified by the evidence involved in the study and review process. Previously, 7 of the 16 studies were cross-sectional and slightly failed to determine the causal relationship between the variables of interest. Given the evidence from cross-sectional studies, it is not possible to conclude that the use of social networks causes mental health problems. Only three longitudinal studies examined the causal relationship between social media and mental health, which is hard to examine if the mental health problem appeared more pronounced in those who use social media more compared with those who use it less or do not use at all [ 19 , 20 , 24 ]. Next, despite the fact that the proposed relationship between social media and mental health is complex, a few studies investigated mediating factors that may contribute or exacerbate this relationship. Further investigations are required to clarify the underlying factors that help examine why social media has a negative impact on some peoples’ mental health, whereas it has no or positive effect on others’ mental health.

Conclusions

Social media is a new study that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity. Thus, there are many unexplored and unexpected constructive answers associated with it. Lately, studies have found that using social media platforms can have a detrimental effect on the psychological health of its users. However, the extent to which the use of social media impacts the public is yet to be determined. This systematic review has found that social media envy can affect the level of anxiety and depression in individuals. In addition, other potential causes of anxiety and depression have been identified, which require further exploration.

The importance of such findings is to facilitate further research on social media and mental health. In addition, the information obtained from this study can be helpful not only to medical professionals but also to social science research. The findings of this study suggest that potential causal factors from social media can be considered when cooperating with patients who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Also, if the results from this study were used to explore more relationships with another construct, this could potentially enhance the findings to reduce anxiety and depression rates and prevent suicide rates from occurring.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Research Methods: Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Getting Started
• What Type of Source?
• Credible Sources
• Finding Background Information
• Library Databases
• Reference Books
• Electronic Books
• Online Reference Collections
• Databases Presenting Two Sides of an Argument
• Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
• Writing Style Guides and Citing Sources
• Annotated Bibliographies

What is a Peer-Reviewed (Academic) Journal?

What Is a Peer-Reviewed Journal?

Peer Review is a process that journals use to ensure the articles they publish represent the best scholarship currently available. When an article is submitted to a peer reviewed journal, the editors send it out to other scholars in the same field (the author's peers) to get their opinion on the quality of the scholarship, its relevance to the field, its appropriateness for the journal, etc.

Publications that don't use peer review (Time, Cosmo, Salon) just rely on the judgement of the editors whether an article is up to snuff or not. That's why you can't count on them for solid, scientific scholarship. --University of Texas at Austin

Databases Containing Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Each database containing peer-reviewed journals has different content coverage and materials.  The databases listed in this Research Guide are available only to Truckee Meadows Community College students, faculty and staff. You will need your TMCC credentials (Username and Password) to access them off-campus.

When searching a database, a search term frequently will retrieve many articles.  Browse the article abstracts to find one or more relevant to your search.

Some of the databases provide citations for the articles.

Consult a librarian for assistance.

• Databases with peer-reviewed articles and content . This list can also be sorted by subject!

How to Read a Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

Tips for Reading a Research Article

Read the Abstract. It consists of a brief summary of the research questions and methods. It may also state the findings. Because it is short and often written in dense psychological language, you may need to read it a couple of times. Try to restate the abstract in your own nontechnical language.

• Read the Introduction. This is the beginning of the article, appearing first after the Abstract. This contains information about the authors' interest in the research, why they chose the topic, their hypothesis , and methods. This part also sets out the operational definitions of variables.
• Read the Discussion section. Skip over the Methods section for the time being. The Discussion section will explain the main findings in great detail and discuss any methodological problems or flaws that the researchers discovered.
• Read the Methods section. Now that you know the results and what the researchers claim the results mean, you are prepared to read about the Methods. This section explains the type of research and the techniques and assessment instruments used. If the research utilized self-reports and questionnaires, the questions and statements used may be set out either in this section or in an appendix that appears at the end of the report.
• Read the Results section. This is the most technically challenging part of a research report. But you already know the findings (from reading about them in the Discussion section). This section explains the statistical analyses that led the authors to their conclusions.
• Read the Conclusion. The last section of the report (before any appendices) summarizes the findings, but, more important for social research, it sets out what the researchers think is the value of their research for real-life application and for public policy. This section often contains suggestions for future research, including issues that the researchers became aware of in the course of the study.
• Following the conclusions are appendices, usually tables of findings, presentations of questions and statements used in self-reports and questionnaires, and examples of forms used (such as forms for behavioral assessments).

Modified from Net Lab

• << Previous: Databases Presenting Two Sides of an Argument
• Next: Writing Style Guides and Citing Sources >>
• Last Updated: Apr 15, 2024 9:36 AM
• URL: https://libguides.tmcc.edu/researchmethods

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Why Peer Review: An Interview with Associate Editor Sarah N. Bowe, MD, EdM

“Protecting the quality of research is paramount, as it can both directly and indirectly influence patient care through guidelines [that are built upon the existing literature].”

Sarah N. Bowe, MD, EdM , a pediatric otolaryngologist with the U.S. Air Force and Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology with the Defense Health Agency in San Antonio, Texas, has served as Associate Editor of Pediatric Otolaryngology for the AAO-HNSF's flagship journal, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and its sister journal, OTO Open, since 2019. Dr. Bowe caught up with the Bulletin to discuss her journey to peer reviewing, her guiding principles as an Associate Editor, the importance of protecting research quality for patient care, and her advice for peers interested in becoming reviewers.

Share a little about yourself, your career, and your journey to working with the OTO journals as an Associate Editor. When I arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center in 2013, Mark E. Boston, MD , was one of the pediatric otolaryngologists and an Associate Editor for Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (OTO-HNS) . While sitting in the clinic one day, he asked if I was interested in reviewing for the “white journal.” As a new attending, I jumped at the chance to be involved in the peer review process. Erik K. Weitzel, MD , was sitting nearby and offered his advice. “If you want to be an Associate Editor someday, never say ‘no’ to a review.” So, I was provided with both opportunity and expectations early in my career.

Of course, when I said yes, I had never done a peer review before. So, I went to the literature and found an outstanding resource, “ How to Review Journal Manuscripts ,” by Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH , former Editor in Chief of OTO-HNS. 1  I made myself a template with the pertinent information that should be relayed to the Editor in Chief and authors and started reviewing. I had always intended to apply for a pediatric fellowship and to stay in academic medicine, so I expressed my interest in reviewing pediatrics papers. And, when I was asked to review an article, I never said ‘no.’ In addition, I submitted all my reviews on time. Owing to my thoroughness and consistency in submitting reviews, I was invited to sit on the Editorial Boards for OTO-HNS and OTO Open .

From 2016 to 2018, I was able to complete a pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. During that time, I continued to review articles and support the journals. Shortly after returning to Brooke Army Medical Center as a pediatric otolaryngologist, John H. Krouse, MD, PhD, MBA , then Editor in Chief, offered me a position as an Associate Editor for Pediatrics.

Why did you choose to become involved with the journals and participate in peer review as part of volunteering your time to the specialty and patient care? There are a few reasons that stand out. First, as a newer faculty member, I was looking for opportunities to get engaged with the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS). As OTO-HNS and OTO Open are the official peer-reviewed publications of the AAO-HNS, it seemed like a great way to volunteer with a relatively minimal and flexible time commitment. (Of course, this would have been true if I had said ‘no’ on occasion.) Second, I thought it would be a great way to see what other otolaryngologists were studying, including a sneak peek into topics that might not be quite ready for press. I quickly learned of a third reason, which is that it made me a far better researcher and writer. As I reviewed each paper, there was much that I had not known about various research methodologies and statistical approaches. This forced me to learn more to adequately critique each paper and offer constructive criticism to assist the authors with bringing their work to publication. This knowledge has continued to help immensely as I design studies and author publications.

What are your guiding principles for peer review or acting as an Associate Editor?  When it comes to guiding principles, I think that the following stand the test of time and position. The first consideration when reviewing a manuscript or deciding whether to send it out for review is whether it aligns with the journal’s mission, which is “to publish contemporary, ethical, clinically relevant information in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery … that can be used by otolaryngologists, clinicians, scientists, and specialists to improve patient care and public health.” If the article content does not align with the journal’s mission and will not be relevant to the readership, then it is not worth the time for it to undergo further review.

The second principle is also embedded in the mission statement and refers to ethical principles. Manuscripts should contain original content that has not been published previously. Any real or potential conflicts of interest related to the content must be explored and declared. Additionally, if applicable, approval should be obtained by an institutional review board. If a submission aligns with the mission and passes the ethical thresholds, then the remaining components of the review process, which includes an evaluation of the methodologic quality and generalizability, can proceed.

For you, what is the value of protecting the quality of research published in the OTO journals to patient care and the specialty? The journals are the official peer-reviewed publications of the AAO-HNS and thus provide a forward-facing representation of the society. The mission of OTO-HNS and OTO Open states that the ultimate goal is to “improve patient care and public health.” One great example of how the journals achieve this is by publishing Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs). These guidelines include recommendations on many of the most common conditions treated by otolaryngologists and the broader medical community. The guidelines are informed by a systematic review of evidence, which is built upon the available literature. Thus, the CPGs illustrate the need for quality of research for every manuscript , as our higher levels of evidence rely upon the accuracy of each underlying article. Protecting the quality of research is paramount, as it can both directly and indirectly influence patient care through guidelines.

What encouragement would you give to your peers to consider becoming a reviewer? As noted previously, there are many reasons to consider becoming a peer reviewer. Of course, one of the greatest barriers when you consider participating in the peer review process is time. The time needed to do a review will depend on the type of article, its complexity, your familiarity with the topic, and your level of experience doing peer reviews. Most people spend between one and three hours per review.

When starting out, I strongly recommend reading Dr. Rosenfeld’s article 1 mentioned above. He and Dr. Krouse also presented an instruction course that provides an overview of the article, “How to Review Journal Manuscripts,” at the 2015 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO. You can watch this course as a free recording . I have continued to use and share both of these resources in all of my editorial roles.

If you have an interest in reviewing, don’t hesitate to reach out. It is possible to start reviewing with very little knowledge or experience, which I did! So, we would love to have you join the reviewer pool.

Previous Articles in this Series

• Rosenfeld, R.M. (2010), How to review journal manuscripts.  Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery , 142: 472-486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otohns.2010.02.010

• Open access
• Published: 05 September 2024

The creation of a pediatric surgical checklist for adult providers

• Diana Ioana Rapolti 1 ,
• Phyllis Kisa 2 ,
• Martin Situma 2 ,
• Elsa Nico 1 ,
• Thom Lobe 1 ,
• Thomas Sims 1 ,
• Doruk Ozgediz 3 &
• Greg Klazura 1  

BMC Health Services Research volume  24 , Article number:  1029 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

Metrics details

To address the need for a pediatric surgical checklist for adult providers.

Pediatric surgery is unique due to the specific needs and many tasks that are employed in the care of adults require accommodations for children. There are some resources for adult surgeons to perform safe pediatric surgery and to assist such surgeons in pediatric emergencies, we created a straightforward checklist based on current literature. We propose a surgical checklist as the value of surgical checklists has been validated through research in a variety of applications.

Literature review on PubMed to gather information on current resources for pediatric surgery, all papers on surgical checklists describing their outcomes as of October 2023 were included to prevent a biased overview of the existing literature. Interviews with multiple pediatric surgeons were conducted for the creation of a checklist that is relevant to the field and has limited bias.

Forty-two papers with 8,529,061 total participants were included. The positive impact of checklists was highlighted throughout the literature in terms of outcomes, financial cost and team relationship. Certain care checkpoints emerged as vital checklist items: antibiotic administration, anesthetic considerations, intraoperative hemodynamics and postoperative resuscitation. The result was the creation of a checklist that is not substitutive for existing WHO surgery checklists but additive for adult surgeons who must operate on children in emergencies.

The outcomes measured throughout the literature are varied and thus provide both a nuanced view of a variety of factors that must be taken into account and are limited in the amount of evidence for each outcome. We hope to implement the checklist developed to create a standard of care for pediatric surgery performed in low resource settings by adult surgeons and further evaluate its impact on emergency pediatric surgery outcomes.

Fulbright Fogarty Fellowship, GHES NIH FIC D43 TW010540.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

Surgery is a vital element of healthcare with the potential to cause serious harm when performed in an unsafe manner. A recent World Health Organization (WHO) survey estimates complications occur in about a quarter of surgical patients [ 1 ]. A large portion of cases in which those serious complications occur are preventable and are related to non-technical skills [ 2 ].

To reduce adverse events such as these, the WHO developed a Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) in 2008. The checklist comprises three phases and 19 items addressing a variety of perioperative safety measures. The mechanism for improving surgical safety is two-fold: through direct action it standardizes what the team does for every procedure and indirectly it promotes a culture of safety in the operating room [ 3 ]. This checklist and others inspired by it have been implemented worldwide with a variety of results.

There is heterogeneity in terms of outcomes studied, however, overall multiple papers suggest that checklists are beneficial: decreasing cost, complications and mortality while improving teamwork and communication. The current literature also highlights the importance of staff perception of SSC with staff attitudes towards SSC affecting how often it is utilized and how it is altered to better adapt to their context [ 4 ].

As the focus of research on surgical checklists has increasingly shifted to include more tailored checklists, their application in pediatric surgery remains largely unexplored. This gap in the literature is of particular importance as it could assist adult surgeons who often must operate on children in emergency circumstances. This is especially true in rural settings and in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) like Uganda where general surgeons perform the majority of general pediatric surgeries [ 5 , 6 ]. In the USA as many as 40% of all pediatric inpatient surgical procedures are performed in adult hospitals [ 7 ]. Furthermore, children are far more complex than just smaller adults yet the WHO SSC does not consider and fully address the intricacies of pediatric surgery. Given the potential worldwide impact of a pediatric surgery checklist for adult general surgeons, we reviewed existing literature on surgical checklists and created a fundamental checklist that surgeons in a variety of resource settings can utilize. Resuscitation, consent, pain control and postoperative care for pediatric patients all require special consideration when the adult surgeon is called to operate on a child. Low and high resource settings may contract or expand this checklist based on their resources and needs. This essential checklist of considerations serves as a guide for adult surgeons needing to operate on children.

The literature review was conducted using PubMed and the University of Illinois library. Papers with text words and subject headings including “surgical checklist” were identified and reviewed. Reference lists from papers identified in the PubMed search were also reviewed and included when appropriate.

We used “surgical checklist” as the keyword search due to the limited availability of pediatric specific checklists and our desire to evaluate all existing papers evaluating checklists’ outcomes to learn the process of creating an effective checklist from them. Two studies out of 42 explicitly mentioned pediatric surgery cases, multiple papers did include patients of all ages however did not provide exact breakdowns. D.R. and E.N. performed independent review of the existing literature for qualifying studies which were then discussed with G.K. to ensure they fit inclusion criteria. We included all papers Jan 2008-October 2023 on the topic. All authors reviewed the list of included papers.

Pediatric surgeons at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Division of Pediatric Surgery and the Paediatric Surgical Foundation of Uganda (PSFU) identified checklist items that they felt were both vital and specific to pediatric general surgery. Dr. Phyllis Kisa from Mulago National Referral Hospital and Dr. Martin Situma from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda participated in the creation of this checklist and provided valuable insight into its potential real world application in LMICs from their own clinical experience. Dr. Lobe, Dr. Sims, and Dr. Rojnica from the UIC Division of Pediatric Surgery also helped create checklist items they deemed essential for adult surgeons performing pediatric surgery in their setting.

We then integrated checklist items from UIC and PSFU with key findings from our comprehensive literature review to create three age appropriate, contextually adaptable checklists for pediatric surgery.

The majority of papers reviewed employed the WHO SSC and its specific adaptations. (Table 1 ) [ 8 ]. No existing pediatric surgery checklists were identified in our review of the literature.

Checklist effect on complications and mortality

Checklists have been shown to reduce postoperative complications, including SSI and mortality. The WHO SSC specifically targets mortality [ 9 , 21 ], SSI [ 12 ], pneumonia [ 51 ], return to the operating room [ 14 ], urinary tract infection, intubation, and sepsis [ 29 ]. The WHO SSC has shown positive changes in regards to all of these targets [ 45 , 52 ]. Thromboembolism (DVT), however, was not a target. Investigations have shown that although the WHO SSC does affect measures like mortality and SSI it does not affect postoperative measures of safety and quality that are not targeted, like DVT [ 51 ]. Maternal sepsis rates were also found to be reduced with the use of the WHO SSC with adherence negatively correlating with sepsis rates [ 11 ]. Further, there is evidence that intraoperative blood loss and incidence of postoperative intestinal fistula formation was lower with the SSC [ 15 ]. Impact on mortality and SSI has been suggested to be more significant in emergency settings in low and middle income countries [ 18 , 19 ].

Checklist effect on teamwork, communication, and culture of safety

The impact of SSC implementation on teamwork and communication was almost unanimously positive across all the studies. After SSC intervention, Molina et al. [ 53 ] reported improvements in team discussions, physician receptiveness to quality improvements, and overall communication by 15%, 9%, and 11.9%, respectively [ 53 ]. Zingiryan et al. [ 54 ] reported improved communication in 76.4% of participants [ 54 ]. White et al. (2018) reported improved teamwork and communication in 91% and 89% of participants [ 55 ]. Tan et al. (2021) reported improved communication in 85% of participants [ 56 ]. One study, however, stood out as an exception; it demonstrated that while nurses and anesthesiologists experienced significantly fewer communication failures, surgeons found no difference in communication with SSC use [ 57 ]. Despite this outlier, other studies note that although nursing staff involvement is especially important for compliance, support from surgeons is also critical [ 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ]. Notably, safety culture also improved and was likely correlated with fidelity to a checklist [ 63 ]. However, that fidelity appeared to be compromised when staff perceived the checklists as “add ons” [ 64 ].

Checklist financial impact

Few studies investigated the financial impact of SSC; however, those that did noted SSC implementation was a cost effective health intervention. Checklist implementation costs, length/cost of hospital stay, blood transfusion, antibiotics used in the OR, the cost of OR time, and the economic gain from additional years of life expectancy were considered in studies that did evaluate the financial impact of SSC. In their single-center assessment, Healey et al. (2020) determined that for every 100 admissions the SSC cost $900 to implement but saved $55,899 overall [ 10 ]. Yu et al. (2020) discovered significantly lower hospitalization costs while Haugen et al. [ 20 ] witnessed a 40% reduction in blood transfusion costs with implementation of the SSC [ 15 , 20 ]. The SSC incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for one year of life loss averted was $31–118 and for every $1 spent on checklist implementation $9–62 was saved [ 65 ].

Checklist creation

Research indicates that checklists perform best when they are targeted, simple, and contextually appropriate [ 38 , 66 ]. Almeida et al. (2021) analyzed all surgeries performed at their hospital or in their country to gain a more comprehensive view of SSC impact [ 12 ]. Their findings highlighted the need for a tailored checklist [ 12 , 66 ]. Others found that involving hospital staff in checklist creation helps create a contextually appropriate checklist [ 38 ].

Although contextually appropriate checklists are best, this of course has its limits. A checklist made for just one setting has more limited utility. With this in mind, using findings from our literature review, and receiving input from pediatric surgeons in HICs and LMICs we created three age specific, adaptable, general pediatric surgery checklists: Neonatal, Infant, and Toddler/Child.

These checklists have room for contextually-appropriate modifications depending on the operation and resources available. Below is the Neonatal checklist as an example. All three checklists are also located in the appendix.

We also determined that there are important points on neonatal, infant, and child physiology that the provider should be aware of prior to following the checklist, administering resuscitation, and delivering anesthesia (Appendix 2). This information complements the checklists and should serve as a reference for providers who care for the sick surgical child. Broselow Tape is an additional reference that can be used to estimate appropriate tube sizes, medication doses, and defibrillator shock doses but its accuracy has been shown to be limited in recent studies [ 67 ].

Pediatric surgery checklist (Appendix 1)

Resuscitation [ 68 ]

Access as large bore as able to place: 24 gauge for neonates, 22 gauge for infants,

Weigh neonate

Initial bolus resuscitation with crystalloid fluids: 10–20 cc/kg (0.9% NaCl or LR)

Maintenance fluid rate by weight using the 4–2-1 rule

Urine output:

 < 1 year: 2–3 cc/kg/hr

1–3 years: 1.5–2 cc/kg/hr

 > 3 years: 1–1.5 cc/kg/hr

Lab value targets

Potassium > 3.7

Bicarb > 28

HGB > 10

If bowel is resected it will lower HBG and more transfusion may be required

Achieve normothermia—use skin to skin contact, heating blankets, and warm saline to maintain the neonate’s temperature between 36.5 and 37.5 degrees celsius [ 69 ]

Abdominal concerns

Perform a digital rectal exam

Decompress the neonate with an NG tube

Concern for sepsis? If yes then IV antibiotics such as penicillin/ampicillin and gentamicin [ 70 , 71 , 72 ]

Weight-based dosing according to institution protocols

Pain Control [ 68 ]

Weight-based per institution protocols and available medications (paracetamol, morphine etc.)

Do NOT use NSAIDS for patients with age < 6 months, asthma, systemic steroids and bleeding disorders

Do NOT use Aspirin for patients with age < 12 years

Consent obtained from legal guardian

Preop and Anesthesia [ 73 ]

Parents educated on patient’s condition, procedure, and expectations in culturally appropriate and sensitive manner

Size appropriate pediatric monitoring equipment available and functioning

Size appropriate pediatric respiratory equipment available and functioning

Avoid Halothane if possible [ 68 ]

Breast Milk up to 4 h before scheduled procedure

Clear Liquids up to 2 h before scheduled procedure

Formula and Solids up to 6 h before scheduled procedure

Endotracheal tube size

Use little finger as a measure

Perioperative Anxiety (most prevalent ages 1–5 y/o) [ 74 ]

Mother present if possible, to soothe child—even during induction if necessary

Oral midazolam administered if necessary

Surgery [ 68 , 73 ]

Formulate plan for maintaining child’s temperature during the operation

Adjust electrocautery and laparoscopic insufflation settings for patient size, weight and age, place grounding away from site of surgery or potential spillage

Laparoscopic insufflation settings for patient size, weight and age

Weight based dosing of prophylactic antibiotics

Post-operative [ 68 , 73 ]

Antiemetics available

Parent/guardian present to help differentiate pain from anxiety.

Avoid overdistention of stomach if mask ventilation necessary

Post-operative fluid status assessed

Research focusing on a variety of surgical subspecialties including general surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, otolaryngology, orthopedics have shown the positive impact of checklists on clinical outcomes [ 3 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 39 , 40 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 46 , 47 , 49 , 50 ]. The evidence for checklist impact overall, however, is quite heterogeneous in terms of outcomes studied and the estimated magnitude of the impact of the checklist. Table 1 attached in the appendix displays the current literature on checklists and shows this variation in existing literature. Nevertheless, the consensus impact of SSC remains generally positive.

One challenge in evaluating checklist implementation is that different research groups have investigated different post-surgical outcomes. Studies have focused on surgical site infections, in-hospital mortality, overall mortality, blood loss, reoperation, embolism and other adverse outcomes. Although this complicates the overall picture when comparing studies and some types of post-surgical outcome have limited evidence, it also provides a more complete description of the many elements that might be improved through the use of the SSC.

Another critical element of SSC use explored throughout the literature is the variability in adherence and attitudes towards SSC and their impact on clinical outcomes. Overall, staff attitudes are critical for utilization compliance [ 58 ]. This perhaps suggests that regular training and education on the purpose of SSC are important for engagement of the team. Training should specifically target collaboration with the surgical team since their cooperation is the most commonly cited obstacle to successful implementation [ 60 ]. These trainings should also have implementation procedures which consider previous experiences and feedback in order to most effectively create a culture of safety. When implementing a SSC it is also important to consider the burden on a workforce in under-resourced settings that is often stretched too thin. Ultimately, SSC’s should not create more work but rather decrease workload through improved patient outcomes.

Although a majority of providers have positive opinions of surgical checklists, there remains a gap in knowledge about their use. In order to bridge this gap there is some evidence that digital SSC displayed on OR monitors increases engagement and accessibility. Many settings, however, do not have an OR computer monitor and efforts to bridge this gap must be made elsewhere [ 61 ]. As with the consideration of not creating more work it is vital to adapt these findings to the local resources as the goal of the SSC is to standardize surgical care and provide guidance.

Towards the goal of providing standardized guidance for pediatric patients, Ugandan pediatric surgeons also developed the Pediatric Emergency Surgery Course (PESC). It is a three day course targeted at rural general surgeons and healthcare providers [ 75 ]. Similar to this checklist the course aims to improve resuscitation and referral patterns for complex surgical conditions such as high anorectal malformations. It also aims to increase provider confidence treating less complex conditions such as pyloric stenosis. The course has been reviewed favorably, demonstrating statistically significant improvements in provider knowledge [ 75 ]. In the future, checklist implementation could coincide with educational interventions such as the PESC. Not only should future work coincide with contextually appropriate training but also investigations and feedback should be gathered from providers who use the checklist so improvements can be made.

As stakeholders improve surgical outcomes and safety locally and globally special consideration should be given to pediatric surgery checklists. Surgical disease represents roughly 28% of the world’s burden of disease [ 76 ]. This burden disproportionately affects children in LMICs; up to 85% of children in LMICs have a surgically-treatable condition by age 15 [ 77 , 78 ]. The lack of a pediatric surgery checklist for any setting further demonstrates the need and potential benefits of a pediatric surgery checklist that can be adapted for different resource levels. Further research on the topic is necessary especially regarding the differences between implementing such a checklist in HIC and LMIC hospitals. As the first checklist seeking to inform surgical care on children for providers without significant specialized training and in urgent, and often resource limited settings, it is important to evaluate its implementation and effectiveness for adult general surgeons.

Although this checklist had input from pediatric surgeons in HICs and LMICs, UIC, Mulago and Mbarara were the only institutions represented in its creation. Our pediatric checklist seeks to integrate as much knowledge from the pediatric surgeons involved in its creation, however it is limited to their experiences and the resources available in their institutions. We acknowledge that other checklists exist already and some may argue against the utility of this checklist and its specificity to pediatric general surgery. It has however been shown throughout this paper that specific checklists have a role to play in different surgical subspecialties, thus supporting our work in the creation of this framework for pediatric general surgery [ 74 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ].

We have sought to create a comprehensive checklist with input from multiple pediatric surgeons. from both high and low resource settings. We acknowledge that SCC implementation is a process in itself requiring multidisciplinary review and feedback. Effective implementation requires adaptation to specific context in order to achieve local buy-in. We have had extensive conversations with surgeons in high and low resource settings to determine the best way of making this checklist easily adaptable regardless of resource availability. Our cross cultural checklist based on a comprehensive literature review illustrates the importance of adapting checklists to local practices to enhance them instead of implementing a generic checklist. The aim of the pediatric SCC is ultimately to enhance current practice and fill in gaps which exist in pediatric surgery by creating a framework that is both standardized and flexible to the context.

This iteration was based on a panel of pediatric surgeons from different resource levels. A next step would be to obtain multidisciplinary feedback from other providers such as nurses, anesthesiologists during the implementation portion of this checklist.

Although there exist books with pediatric surgery considerations, a concise checklist indicating clear actions that are important for providers is necessary for settings with limited resources. Countries such as Uganda with few pediatric surgeons, general surgeons are required to fill the gaps and provide care to children without a clear standard of care. The next step for standardizing pediatric surgical care in resource limited settings would be evaluating the effectiveness of our pediatric surgery checklist in practice by adult general surgeons in a variety of settings in HICs and LMICs.

The benefits of surgical checklists are far reaching: improved teamwork, communication, clinical outcomes, and patient safety all while saving hospitals and patients money. Keeping in mind that checklists are most effective when they are tailored to the context and the patient, we created three general pediatric surgery checklists that can be adapted to different settings based on resource availability and specific needs. This is the first set of checklists developed specifically for pediatric surgery and providers should carefully weigh their benefits as they consider how to appropriately use them in their practice. This peer reviewed checklist steeped in robust literature review is a critical first step in further standardization of pediatric surgical care and highlights the most important considerations in pediatric surgery in a way that is accessible and concise for general surgeons to use in their practice.

Availability of data and materials

Literature review performed with materials from the University of Illinois library.

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Acknowledgements

University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Surgery, Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Greg Klazura received funding from Fulbright Fogarty Fellowship (GHES NIH FIC D43 TW010540).

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D.R. wrote the main manuscript text and prepared the figures with guidance from G.K.. D.R. and E. N. performed literature review, all papers were discussed with G.K.. P.K., M.S, T.L., T.S. and D.O. contributed valuable insight into important considerations for pediatric surgery. P.K. and M.S. provided guidance on how to adapt checklist to low resource settings and the needs of surgeons in LMICs. E.N. contributed to the background of the main manuscript text. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Rapolti, D.I., Kisa, P., Situma, M. et al. The creation of a pediatric surgical checklist for adult providers. BMC Health Serv Res 24 , 1029 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-11405-1

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Hung P, Granger M, Boghossian N, Yu J, Harrison S, Liu J, Campbell BA, Cai BO, Liang C, Li X. Dual Barriers: Examining Digital Access and Travel Burdens to Hospital Maternity Care Access in the United States, 2020. Milbank Quarterly. 2023 Dec;101(4):1327-1347. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12668. Epub 2023 Aug 23. PMID: 37614006. IF: 8.964 View Journal Article

Hung P, Probst JC, Shih Y, Ranganathan R, Crouch EL, Eberth JM. Rural-urban disparities in inpatient psychiatric care quality in the United States. Psychiatric Services. 2023 May 1;74(5):446-454. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20220277. PMID: 36321319. IF: 6.157 View Journal Article

Julceus EF, Olatosi B, Hung P, Zhang J, Li X, Liu J. Racial disparities in adequacy of prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, 2018-2021. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023 Sep 23;23(1):686. doi: 10.1186/s12884-023-05983-x. PMID: 37741980; PMCID: PMC10517534.IF: 3.8 View Journal Article

Li Z, Fu Y, Wang C, Sun H, Hung P. Trends in the availability of community-based psychological counseling services for oldest-old in China, 2005 to 2018. J Affect Disord. 2023 Jun 15;331:405-412. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.035. Epub 2023 Mar 20. PMID: 36940823. IF: 6.533 View Journal Article

Li Z, Ho V, Merrell MA, Hung P. Trends in patient perceptions of care toward rural and urban hospitals in the United States: 2014-2019. Journal of Rural Health. 2023 Nov 29. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12813. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38031505. IF: 5.667 View Journal Article

Li Z, Hung P, Shi K, Fu Y, Qian D. Association of rurality, type of primary caregiver and place of death with end-of-life medical expenditures among the oldest-old population in China. Int J Equity Health. 2023 Jan 3;22(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12939-022-01813-2. PMID: 36597134; PMCID: PMC9809123. IF: 3.192 View Journal Article

Li Z, Merrell MA, Eberth JM, Wu D, Hung P. Successes and Barriers of Health Information Exchange Participation Across Hospitals in South Carolina From 2014 to 2020: Longitudinal Observational Study. JMIR Med Inform. 2023 Sep 28;11:e40959. doi: 10.2196/40959. PMID: 37768730; PMCID: PMC10570901. IF: 3.2 View Journal Article

Li Z, Xuan M, Gao Y, He R, Qian D, Hung P. Trends in the availability of community-based home visiting services for oldest-old in China, 2005-2018. BMJ Open. 2023 Apr 5;13(4):e070121. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070121. PMID: 37019484; PMCID: PMC10083737. IF:3.007  View Journal Article

Liu J, Hung P, Zhang J, Olatosi B, Campbell B, Liang C, Shih Y, Hikmet N, Li X. Racial and ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity in South Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. Annals of Epidemiology. 2023 Dec;88:51-61. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.11.005. Epub 2023 Nov 10. PMID: 37952778. IF: 5.6 View Journal Article

Lyu T, Liang C, Liu J, Hung P, Zhang J, Campbell B, Ghumman N, Olatosi B, Hikmet N, Zhang M, Yi H, Li X; National COVID Cohort Collaborative Consortium. Risk for Stillbirth among Pregnant Individuals with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Varied by Gestational Age. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Feb 28:S0002-9378(23)00132-1. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.02.022. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36858096; PMCID: PMC9970919. IF:8.661 View Journal Article

Merrell, M., Crouch, E., Harrison, S., Brown, M., Brown, T., Pearson, W. (2023). Identifying the need for and availability of evidence-based care for sexually transmitted infections in rural primary clinics. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. View Journal Article

Momodu*, O., Horner, R., Liu, J., Crouch, E., Chen, B. (2023). Participation in the Centering Pregnancy Program and Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. View Journal Article

Momodu, O., Horner, R., Liu, J., Crouch, E., Chen, B. (2023). Validation of Gestational Weight Gain Records on South Carolina Birth Certificate Data. Discover Health Systems. View Journal Article

Negaro SND, Hantman RM, Probst JC, Crouch E, Odahowski C, Andrews CM, Hung P. (2023). Geographic Variations in Driving Time to U.S. Mental Health Care, Digital Access to Technology, and Household Crowdedness. Health Affairs Scholar. View Journal Article

Probst, J., Crouch, E., and Hung, P. (2023). Increasing all-cause mortality in US children and adolescents.JAMA. View Journal Article

Shalowitz DI, Hung P, Zahnd WE, Eberth J. Pre-pandemic geographic access to hospital-based telehealth for cancer care in the United States. PLoS One. 2023 Jan 31;18(1):e0281071. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281071. PMID: 36719889; PMCID: PMC9888704. IF: 3.752 View Journal Article

Zahnd WE, Hung P, Shi SK, Zgodic A, Merrell MA, Crouch EL, Probst JC, Eberth JM. Availability of hospital-based cancer services before and after rural hospital closure, 2008-2017. Journal of Rural Health. 2023 Mar;39(2):416-425. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12716. PMID: 36128753. IF: 5.667  View Journal Article

Zahnd, W., Silverman*, A., Self, S., Hung, P., Natafgi, N., Adams, S, Merrell, M., Owens, O., Crouch, E., Eberth, J. (2023). The COVID-19 Pandemic Effect on Independent and Provider-Based Rural Health Clinics’ Operations and Cancer Prevention and Screening Provision in the United States. The Journal of Rural Health. View Journal Article

Peer Reviewed Publications 2022

Bell N, Hung P, Merrell MA, Crouch EL, Eberth JM. Changes in access to community health services among rural areas affected and unaffected by hospital closures between 2006 and 2018: A comparative interrupted timeseries study. J Rural Health. July 2022;1-11  View Journal Article

Crouch, E., Nelson, J., Radcliff, E., Merrell, M., and Martin, A. (2022).  Safe, Supportive Neighborhoods: Are they Associated With Childhood Oral Health? Journal of Public Health Dentistry. View Journal Article

Crouch EL, Probst JC, Shi SK, McLain AC, Eberth JM,Brown MJ, Merrell M, Bennett KJ. Examining the association between rurality and positive childhood experiences among a national sample. J Rural Health, 2022:1-8. View Journal Article

Crouch, E., Radcliff, E., Browder, J., Workman, L., McClam, M. (2022). Assessing Supports Provided to Home Visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Health Visiting. 10(10),428-433. View Journal Article

Crouch, E., Radcliff, E., Kelly, K., Merrell, M., and Bennett, K. (2022). Examining the influence of positive childhood experiences on childhood overweight and obesity using a national sample. Preventive Medicine, 154, 106907. View Journal Article

Crouch, E., Radcliff, E., Merrell, M., Brown, M., and Bennett, K. (2022). A national examination of the association between poverty and interactive caregiving practices among parents of young children. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 1-9. View Journal Article

Crouch, E., Smith, H., Anderson, T. (2022). An examination of caregiver incarceration, positive childhood experiences, and school success. Children and Youth Services Review,133, 106345. View Journal Article

Crouch, E., Srivastav, A., Stafford, A. (2022). Examining Racial/Ethnic Differences in Positive Childhood Experiences among Respondents in a Southern States. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 1-8. View Journal Article

Culp F, Wu Y, Wu D, Ren Y, Raynor P, Hung P, Qiao S, Li X, Eichelberger K. Understanding Alcohol Use Discourse and Stigma Patterns in Perinatal Care on Twitter. Healthcare. 2022 Nov 26;10(12):2375. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10122375. PMID: 36553899. IF: 3.160 View Journal Article

Eberth JM, Hung P, Benavidez GA, Probst JC., Zahnd WE., McNatt MK., Toussaint E, Merrell MA, Crouch EL, Oyesode OJ , Yell N. 2022. The Problem Of The Color Line: Spatial Access To Hospital Services For Minoritized Racial And Ethnic Groups: Study examines spatial access to hospital services for minoritized racial and ethnic groups. Health Affairs, 41(2), pp.237-246 View Journal Article

Giannouchos, T., Crouch, E., Merrell, M., Brown, M., Harrison, S., Pearson, W. (2022). Racial, ethnic, and rural/urban disparities in HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections, in South Carolina. Journal of Community Health. 48(1), 152-159. View Journal Article

Hung P,Cramer LD, Pollack CE, Gross CP, Wang SY. Primary care physician continuity, survival, and end-of-life care intensity. Health Serv Res. 2022 Aug;57(4):853-862. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13869. IF: 3.734 View Journal Article

Hung P, Liu J, Norregaard C, Shih Y, Liang C, Zhang J, Olatosi B, Campbell BA, Li X. Analysis of Residential Segregation and Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Oct 3;5(10):e2237711. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.37711. PMID: 36264572; PMCID: PMC9585430. IF: 13.37 View Journal Article

Hung P, Probst JC, Shih Y, Ranganathan R, Brown MJ, Crouch E, Eberth, JM. Rural-Urban Disparities in Quality of Inpatient Psychiatric Care. Psychiatric Services. 2 Nov 2022. View Journal Article

Hung P, Shi K, Probst JC, Zahnd WE, Zgodic A, Merrell MA, Crouch E, Eberth JM. Trends in Cancer Treatment Service Availability Across Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System Hospitals. Med Care. 2022 Mar 1;60(3):196-205. IF: 3.178 View Journal Article

Hung, P., Shih, Y., Ranganathan, R., Probst, J., Brown, M., Crouch, E., Eberth, J. (2022). Rural-urban disparities in inpatient psychiatric care quality. Psychiatric Services. View Journal Article

Liu J, Hung P, Liang C, Zhang J, Qiao S, Campbell BA, Olatosi B, Torres ME, Hikmet N, Li X. Multilevel determinants of racial/ethnic disparities in severe maternal morbidity and mortality in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: protocol for a concurrent triangulation, mixed-methods study. BMJ Open. 2022 Jun 10;12(6):e062294. IF: 2.692 View Journal Article

Mi T, Hung P, Li X, McGregor A, He J, Zhou J. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Postpartum Care in the Greater Boston Area During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2216355. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.16355. PMID: 35737390; PMCID: PMC9226999. IF: 13.37 View Journal Article

Noochpoung R,Hung P, Hair NL, Putthasri W, Chen BK. Can a high-powered financial incentive programme reduce resignation rates among healthcare providers in rural areas? Evidence from Thailand's 2008 Hardship Allowance programme. Health Policy Plan. 2022 May 12;37(5):624-633. IF: 3.547 View Journal Article

Zahnd WE, Hung P, Shi SK, Zgodic A, Merrell MA, Crouch EL, Probst JC, Eberth JM. Availability of Hospital-Based Cancer Services Before and After Rural Hospital Closure, 2008-2017. The Journal of Rural Health. September 21, 2022. View Journal Article

Peer Reviewed Publications 2021

Adams SA, Zahnd WE, Ranganathan R, Hung P, Brown MJ, Truman S, Biesecker C, Kirksey VC, Eberth JM. Rural and racial disparities in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in South Carolina, 1996 – 2016. J Rural Health. 2021;1-6. May 2021 View Journal Article . 

Benavidez GA, Zgodic A, Zahnd WE, Eberth JM. Disparities in Women Being Up to Date With Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening: An Analysis of 2018 BRFSS Data. Annals of Epidemiology. April 2021 View Journal Article

Crouch, E, Radcliff, E, Merrell, MA , Brown, MJ, Ingram, LA, & Probst, J (2021). Racial/ethnic differences in positive childhood experiences across a national sample. Child abuse & neglect, 115, 105012.  View Journal Article

Eberth JM, Zahnd WE, Josey MJ, Schootman M, Hung P, Probst JC. Trends in spatial access to colonoscopy in South Carolina, 2000–2014. Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology. 2021 Jun 1;37:100414. View Journal Article

Hung P, Cramer LD, Pollack CE, Gross CP, Wang S-Y. Primary care physician continuity, survival, and end-of-life care intensity. Health Serv Res. 2021; 1-10. View Journal Article

Hung P, Shih Y-W, Brown MJ, Crouch E. Suicide Prevention Programs Across U.S. Outpatient Mental Health Care Settings: Differences by Facility Ownership. Psychiatric Services. 2021; 72:998-1005. View Journal Article

Hung P, Shi K, Probst JC, Zahnd WE, Zgodic A, Merrell MA, Crouch E, Eberth JM. Trends in Cancer Treatment Service Availability Across Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System Hospitals. Med Care. 2022 Mar 1;60(3):196-205. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001635. PMID: 34432764. View Journal Article

Li Z, Harrison SE, Li X, Hung P. Telepsychiatry adoption across hospitals in the United States: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. (2021) 21:182. View Journal Article

Liu J, Hung P, Alberg AJ, Hair NL, Whitaker KM, Simons J, Taylor SK. Mental health among pregnant women with COVID-19-related stressors and worries in the United States. Wiley Periodicals LLC. 2021; 48:470-479. View Journal Article

McGregor AJ, Hung P, Garman D, Amutah-Onukagha N, Cooper JA. Obstetrical unit closures and racial and ethnic differences in severe maternal morbidity in the state of New Jersey. AM J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2021; 3:100480. View Journal Article

Merrell MA, Betley C, Crouch E, Hung P, Stockwell I, Middleton A, Pearson WS. Screening and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections among Medicaid Populations-A Two-State Analysis. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Jan 2021. View Journal Article

Merrell MA, Crouch E, Browder J, Workman L, Wilson M, Malbouf A, Silverman A. Home visiting caregiver satisfaction and engagement in South Carolina. Journal of Health Visiting, 9(6), 253-259. June 2021 View Journal Article

Mitchell J, Probst JC, Li X. The Association between Hospital Care Transition Planning and Timely Primary Care Follow Up.          J Rural Health, epub 10 Jun 2021;1–6Mitchell J, Probst JC, Li X. The Association between Hospital Care Transition Planning and Timely Primary Care Follow Up. J Rural Health, epub 10 Jun 2021;1–6  View Journal Article

Probst JC, Crouch EL, Eberth JM.  COVID-19 risk mitigation behaviors among rural and urban community-dwelling older adults in summer, 2020. J Rural Health, 2021; 37: 473-478 View Journal Article

Purser J, Harrison S, Hung P. Going the distance: Associations between adverse birth outcomes and obstetric provider distances for adolescent pregnancies in South Carolina. Journal of Rural Health. 2021; 1-9. View Journal Article

Shi K, Hung P, Wang S-Y. Associations Among Health Literacy, End-of-Life Care Expenditures, and Rurality.  The Journal of Rural Health.  37(2021) 517-525. View Journal Article

White AL, Merrell MA. Exploring contraceptive care practices at Rural Health Clinics in the southern United States. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare Volume 29, September 2021, 100629, ISSN 1877-5756, View Journal Article

Zahnd WE, Bell N, Larson AE. Geographic, racial/ethnic, and socioeconomic  inequities in broadband access.  The Journal of Rural Health  November 18, 2021. View Journal Article

Zahnd WE, Murphy C, Knoll M, Benavidez GA, Day KR, Ranganathan R, Luke P, Zgodic A, Shi K, Merrell MA, Crouch EL, Brandt HM, Eberth JM. The Intersection of Rural Residence and Minority Race/Ethnicity in Cancer Disparities in the United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(4):1384. View Journal Article

Zgodic A, Eberth JM, Breneman C, Wende ME, Kaczynski AT, Liese AD, McLain AC. Estimates of Childhood Overweight and Obesity at the Region, State, and County Levels: A Multilevel Small Area Estimation Approach. Am J Epidemiol. 2021 Jun 16:kwab176. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab176. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34132329. View Journal Article

Zgodic A. Eberth JM, Smith BD, Zahnd WE, Adams SA, McKinley BP, Horner RD, O'Rourke MA, Blackhurst DW, Hudson MF. Multilevel predictors of guideline concordant needle biopsy use for non-metastatic breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. August 2021. View Journal Article

Peer Reviewed Publications 2020

Biesecker C, Zahnd WE, Brandt HM, Adams SA, Eberth JM. A Bivariate Mapping Tutorial for Cancer Control Resource Allocation Decisions and Interventions. Preventing Chronic Disease.  January 2020  View Journal Article .

Crouch, E., Radcliff, E., Merrell, M. A., & Bennett, K. J. (2020). Rural‐urban differences in positive childhood experiences across a national sample. The Journal of Rural Health, 37(3), 495-503. View Journal Article

Haynes E, Crouch E, Probst  J, Radcliff E, Bennett K, & Glover S. (2020). Exploring the association between a parent’s exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and outcomes of depression and anxiety among their children. Children and Youth Services Review, 105013. June 2020  View Journal Article

Hung P, Zahnd WE, Brandt HM, Adams SA, Wang S, Eberth JM. Cervical cancer treatment initiation and survival: The role of residential proximity to cancer care. Gynecologic Oncology.  October 2020  View Journal Article

Kaczynski AT, Eberth JM, Stowe EW, Wende ME, Liese AD, McLain AC, Breneman CB, Josey MJ. Development of a national childhood obesogenic environment index in the United States: differences by region and rurality. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity .  July 2020  View Journal Article .

Merrell MA, Probst JC, Crouch E,  Abshire DA, McKinney SH, Haynes EE.  A National Survey of RN-to-BSN Programs: Are They Reaching Rural Students? Journal of Nursing Education. October 2020  View Journal Article

 Odahowski CL, Crouch EL, Zahnd WE, Probst JC, McKinney SH, Abshire DA. Rural-urban differences in educational attainment among registered nurses: Implications for achieving an 80% BSN workforce. Journal of Professional Nursing. May 2020   View Journal Article

Ranganathan R, Zahnd WE, Harrison SE, Brandt HM, Adams SA, Eberth JM. Spatial Access to Vaccines for Children Providers in South Carolina: Implications for HPV Vaccination. Preventing Chronic Disease December 2020;17:200300. View Journal Article

Wende ME, Stowe EW, Eberth JM, McLain AC, Liese AD, Breneman CB, Josey MJ, Hughey SM, Kaczynski AT. Spatial clustering patterns and regional variations for food and physical activity environments across the United States. International Journal of Environmental Health Research. January 2020   View Journal Article

Zahnd, WE, Gomez, SL; Steck, SE; Brown, MJ; Ganai, S; Zhang, J; Adams, SA; Berger, FG; Eberth JM. Rural Urban and Racial/Ethnic Trends and Disparities in Early-Onset and Average-Onset Colorectal Cancer. Cancer. October 2020  View Journal Article  

Zahnd, WE, Josey, MJ, Schootman, M, Eberth, JM. Spatial accessibility to colonoscopy and its role in predicting late‐stage colorectal cancer. Health Serv Res. 2020; 00: 1– 11.  View Journal Article

Zahnd WE, Harrison SE, Stephens HC, Messersmith AR, Brandt HM, Hastings TJ, Eberth JM. Expanding access to HPV vaccination in South Carolina through community pharmacies: A geospatial analysis. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. June 2020  View Journal Article  

Zahnd WE, Crouch EL, Probst JC, Hunt McKinney S, Abshire DA, Eberth JM.  Factors Associated With Perceived Job Preparedness Among RNs, JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration. May 2020 View Journal Article

Zahnd WE.  Appropriate considerations of "rural" in National Cancer Data Base analyses, Cancer. April  2020  View Letter to the Editor

Peer Reviewed Publications 2019

Breneman C*, Probst JC, Crouch E, Eberth JM. (2019) Assessing change in physician practice organization profile in South Carolina: a longitudinal study. Journal of Rural Health. Epub ahead of print on April 15, 2019. DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12367

Crouch E, Nelson J, Radcliff E, Martin A (2019) Exploring associations between adverse childhood experiences and oral health among children and adolescents.  The Journal of Public Health Dentistry  2019 Aug 28. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12341. [Epub ahead of print]

Crouch E, Probst JC, Radcliff E, Bennett KJ, McKinney SH (2019) Prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among US children. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2019 Jun;92:209-218. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.04.010. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Crouch E, Radcliff E, Hung P, Bennett KJ (2019) Challenges to School Success and the Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Academic Pediatrics. 2019 19(8):899-907

Hung P, Deng S*, Zahnd WE, Adams SA, Olatosi B, Crouch EL, Eberth JM. Geographic disparities in residential proximity to colorectal and cervical cancer care providers. Cancer. 2019 Nov 8. doi: 10.1002/cncr.32594. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 31702829 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Hung P, Wang S, Hsu SH. Associations between end-of-life expenditures and hospice stay length vary by clinical condition and expenditure duration. Value in Health (2019). In Press

Hung P, Wang S, Killelea BK, Mougalian SS, Evans SB, Sedghi T, and Gross CP. Long term outcomes of sentinel lymph node biopsy for ductal carcinoma in situ. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. 3, no 4 (2019). View Journal Article

Eberth JM, Crouch E, Josey MJ*, Zahnd WE, Adams SA, Stiles B, Schootman M. (2019) Rural-urban differences in access to thoracic surgery in the United States, 2010-2014. Annals of Thoracic Surgery. June 22, 2019. pii: S0003-4975(19)30879-3. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.04.113. [Epub ahead of print]

Liese AD, Ma X, Reid L, Sutherland M, Bell BA, Eberth JM, Probst JC, Turley CB, Mayer-Davis EJ. (2019) Health Care Access and Glycemic Control in Youth and Young Adults with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes in South Carolina. Pediatr Diabetes. 2019 Jan 22. doi: 10.1111/pedi.12822. [Epub ahead of print]

Odahowski CL, Zahnd WE, Eberth JM. (2019) Challenges and Opportunities for Lung Cancer Screening in Rural America. Journal of the American College of Radiology. 2019-04-01, Volume 16, Issue 4, Pages 590-595

Odahowski CL, Zahnd WE, Zgodic A*, Edward JS, Hill LN, Davis MM, Perry CK, Shannon J, Wheeler SB, Vanderpool RC, Eberth JM. Financial hardship among rural cancer survivors: An analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Preventive Medicine.  2019 Nov 11:105881. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105881. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 31727380 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Probst J, Zahnd W, Breneman C. Declines in pediatric mortality fall short for rural US children. Health Affairs, 2019 November. 10-1377.

Probst J, Eberth JM, Crouch E. Structural Urbanism Contributes To Poorer Health Outcomes For Rural America. Health Affairs, 2019 Dec 38(12), 1976-1984.

Radcliff E, Crouch E, Strompolis M, Srivastav A. (2019) Homelessness in Childhood and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2019 Jun;23(6):811-820. doi: 10.1007/s10995-018-02698-w

Spencer, J.C., Rotter, J.S., Eberth, J.M., Zahnd, W.E., Vanderpool, R.C., Ko, L.K., Davis, M.M., Troester, M.A., Olshan, A.F. and Wheeler, S.B., Employment changes following breast cancer diagnosis: the effects of race and place. JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2019 Oct. 

Srivastav A, Spencer M, Thrasher JF, Strompolis M, Crouch E, Davis RE. Addressing Health and Well-Being Through State Policy: Understanding Barriers and Opportunities for Policy-Making to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in South Carolina. American Journal of Health Promotion.  2019 Oct 9:890117119878068. doi: 10.1177/0890117119878068. [Epub ahead of print]

Zahnd WE, Askelson N, Vanderpool RC, Stradtman L, Edward J, Farris PE,... & Eberth, J. M. (2019). Challenges of using nationally representative, population-based surveys to assess rural cancer disparities. Preventive medicine, 105812.

Zahnd WE*, David MM, Rotter JS, Vanderpool RC, Perry CK, Shannon J, Ko LK, Wheeler SB, Odahowski C*, Farris PE, Eberth JM+. (2019) Rural-urban differences in financial burden among cancer survivors: an analysis of a nationally representative survey. Supportive Care in Cancer. (2019) 27: 4779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04742-z

Zahnd WE*, Eberth JM+. (2019) Lung cancer screening utilization with low-dose computed tomography: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2017. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Epub ahead of print on June 24, 2019

Zahnd WE, McLafferty SL, Eberth JM (2019). Multilevel analysis in rural cancer control: A conceptual framework and methodological implications. Preventive medicine, 105835.

Posters 2022

COVID-19's Impact on Telehealth Usage in Rural Health Clinics Across the United States (April 2022)

Disparities in Chronic Disease Burden: Understanding Community Context (April 2022)

Examining the Influence of Positive Childhood Experiences on Childhood Overweight and Obesity (April 2022)

Rural-Urban Differences in Access to Mental Health Care Facilities in the United States (April 2022)

Rural-Urban and Racial Disparities in HIV and STIs in South Carolina from 2019 to 2021 (April 2022)

Posters 2021

Application of Spatial Methods to Examine Spatial Access to Vaccine for Children Providers in South Carolina - Big Data Health Science Center Conference

Home Visiting Client Satisfaction and Engagement: Findings from a South Carolina MIECHV Evaluation

Job Satisfaction Among Nurses and Healthcare Quality (October 2021)

Post-Stratification in Contexts where Strata Population Counts are Unavailable - American Statistical Association Conference on Statistical Practice

Posters 2020

Disparities in cancer screening among women in the United States [PDF] - ACE Annual Meeting

Impact of Patient Metropolitan Status and Facility Region on Disparities in Needle Biopsy Receipt for Breast Cancer Diagnosis [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Rural and Racial Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in South Carolina, 1996-2016 [PDF] - ACE Annual Meeting

Posters 2019

The Association of a Rural Hospital Closure with 30-Day Post Hospital Discharge Mortality from Selected Conditions [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Development of a County-Level Childhood Obesogenic Environment Index across the United States [PDF] - International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Meeting

Educational Gaps a Barrier to Rural Nursing Practice [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Financial Hardship among Rural Cancer Survivors in the United States [PDF] - Annual ASPO Conference

Financial Problems among Rural and Urban Cancer Survivors [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Geographic Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening in the U.S. [PDF] - Annual APSO Conference

Home & Guns: Rural-Urban Differences in Firearm Storage [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Mapping Cervical Cancer Access and Prevention in SC [PDF] - NRHA Health Equity Conference

Temporal Trends in Spatial Access to Colonoscopy in South Carolina [On-line Only] - Annual ASPO Conference

Urban-Rural Disparities in Residential Access to Colorectal and Cervical Cancer Care Specialists [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Presentations

Presentations 2022.

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Reversing 20 years of rural mortality improvement (April 2022)

Geographic and Ethnic Disparities Among U.S. - Mexico Border Residents (April 2022)

A Quality Improvement Initiative Addressing STI Services Provided in Rural South Carolina Primary Care Clinics (October 2022)

Roles of Race and Residence on the Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in South Carolina Improving STD Prevention and Care Through Partnerships (December 2022)

Rural Cancer Prevention and Control Activities in S.C. (April 2022)

Rural-Urban Differences in Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences (March 2022)

Rural Urban Disparities in Inpatient Psychiatric Care Quality (April and June 2022)

Presentations 2021

Access to Vaccine for Children Providers and HPV Vaccination in Rural Children and Adolescents (June 2021)

Everyday Discrimination: Residential Displacement and Mental Health (October 2021)

Examining Racial and Ethnic Group Composition and Availability of Grocery Store Outlets by Geography in South Carolina (April 2021)  

Impact Data System FAQs and MIECHV Performance Measure Tips - Virtual Performance Measures Workshop for MIECHV

Midlands Healthy Start Program: Assisting At-Risk and Diverse Pregnant and Postpartum Women, Infants, and Fathers

Multilevel Influences of Cancer Inequities at the Intersection of Rurality and Race/Ethnicity

Nutrition Symposium Presentation (April 2021)

Practice Based Experience: Looking at How Grocery Store Locations Impact Food Insecurity (April 2021)  

Responding To Addiction In Rural Communities (August 2021)

The Role of Rural Health Clinics in Cancer Care across the Continuum (December 2021)  

Understanding the South Carolina Home Visiting Needs Assessment (April 2021)

Presentations 2020

Cancer Surveillance and Access to Care in Rural America [PDF]

Disproportionate Burden of Cervical Cancer Survival By Race and Rurality in South Carolina, 2001 - 2016 [PDF] - AACR Virtual Conference

Factors Associated With Lung Cancer Screening In Urban Vs. Rural Individuals At Risk For Lung Cancer [PDF] - NRHA Annual Conference

Rural urban and racial disparities in colorectal cancer survival among the residents of South Carolina, 2001 - 2016 [PDF] - AACR Virtual Conference  

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.