Vignette development
MKS
First, we conducted a literature review to identify and classify different types and examples of dilemmas that PhD students may face and could result in DRPs. Two authors (DB, MO) searched PubMed on March 15, 2018, using “Questionable Research Practices[tw]” (including forward citations), yielding 54 articles. An additional 15 were obtained from consultation with experts within the Methods in Research on Research (MiRoR) consortium. Five authors (LB, DB, MO, MG, and MKS) extracted data from the sources using a standardized data extraction form, and 286 DRPs were identified. These were then classified by two researchers (DB and MO) according to the research phase in which they may occur: (i) hypothesis and study design, (ii) conduct (data collection/handling), (iii) analysis, (iv) reporting, (v) publication (e.g. authorship issues), and (vi) others (e.g. policies, ethics, and supervision/training). Disagreements were resolved through discussion with a senior researcher (IB).To supplement the literature review, thirteen doctoral students from the MiRoR project conducted semi-structured interviews with colleagues after undergoing training in qualitative interviewing (Interviewees’ academic background and level of research experience,Interviewees’ perception of DRPs which is reflected by how they define DRPs,Interviewees’ experiences with DRPs in their research environment and personal experiences of DRPs in their own research.The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using NVivo V.11.Through discussions within the authorship team and consultation with experts from the MiRoR Consortium, ten DRPs of interest were selected that were (i) relevant to all biomedical disciplines and (ii) common to PhD students in biomedical research. Three researchers (VN, CS, TVT) collaboratively developed a case vignette for each of the 10 DRPs (Table Ten DRP selected for vignette development.