Research policy

Guidelines, recommendations and expectations for LDS researchers

Research at Lovisenberg shall generate innovative and forward-thinking knowledge, making valuable contributions to improve healthcare services and enhancing the research capabilities among our employees. Our research is characterized by its scientific rigor and its dedication to improving the health and quality of life of our citizens. It frequently involves interdisciplinary collaboration within our clinical teams, and inclusion of esteemed national and international research partners. Our projects encompass a wide range of topics, including aetiology, epidemiology, intervention development and testing, and longitudinal observational studies of patient experience and treatment outcomes.

Lovisenberg’s vision for research

Research that makes a difference for people!

Lovisenberg:

  • Engages patients in research.
  • Develops innovative forms of treatment and health services.
  • Ensures the quality of current treatment options.

 

The Open and Reproducible Science Policy at Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital (LDS) promotes transparent and collaborative research practices, emphasising open access publication, preregistration of analysis plans and protocols, and the open sharing of code and materials. The policy aligns with the hospital's commitment to high-quality, internationally collaborative research, fostering a culture of openness for the benefit of patients, the public, and the global scientific community.

Recommendations and expectations for LDS researchers regarding open science 

  1. Data Management and Sharing: Data sharing protocols for research undertaken at LDS should be explicitly defined, taking into account participant privacy, ethical considerations, and applicable data security regulations. Where relevant ethical approvals and the consent provided by participants allow, researchers are encouraged to share non-identifiable raw data, synthetic data, metadata, and/or data documentation in recognized repositories for the purposes of analytic replication. Wherever possible, such approaches should be preferred over the inclusion of statements such as “data available on request”.
  2. Open Access Publication: Researchers should take reasonable measures to make research outputs freely accessible in the form of open access publications. Where funder mandates for open access publishing exist, these must be followed. Otherwise, researchers should seek to make research outputs available as (in order of priority) either open access manuscripts, freely accessible author-accepted manuscripts, or freely accessible preprints of submitted manuscripts. Regardless of the prospective accessibility of the final publication, LDS researchers are encouraged to deposit manuscripts in preprint servers before formal publication, promoting early dissemination of research findings. Researchers should take responsibility to ensure preprints are linked to later publications of the same work.
  3. Preregistration of confirmatory research: LDS researchers are encouraged to make formal preregistrations of confirmatory (i.e., hypothesis testing) research undertakings, such that time-stamped records of protocols and/or analysis plans that pre-date data collection and/or analysis are able to be made publicly available alongside the resulting research outputs. Preregistration affords researchers protection against the inadvertent influence of biases that can invalidate statistical inferences during the research process1, and provides consumers of LDS research with a fuller picture of the research process and greater confidence in the robustness of related findings
  4. Training and professional development:Researchers are encouraged to continuously assess and improve research practices with a view to embracing new tools and methodologies that enhance the openness and reproducibility of research. LDS will provide training and resources to researchers to enhance their understanding of open science practices.
  5. Software and Tool Accessibility:LDS encourages researchers to share software and tools developed in the course of research. Researchers should, where possible, promote the use of open-source software to enhance scientific accessibility and collaboration. Analytic code used in research should be deposited in public repositories.
  6. Peer review: LDS researchers should advocate for and participate in transparent and open peer review processes, where possible. Additionally, researchers should support initiatives for post-publication peer review to provide ongoing assessment of research quality.
  7. Applications for research funding: Applications for external research funding made by LDS researchers should include a statement describing plans for the implementation of open science practices in the funded work.

The principles of Open Science align with LDS's overarching research strategy in the following ways:

  • Impact
    By following practices that demonstrably improve the robustness of research, LDS researchers will increase the chances of their work making a meaningful difference.
  • Patient-Focused Research 
    Open science processes are in keeping with a philosophy of ensuring that patients are at the heart of the research process at the hospital. By ensuring research outputs more widely accessible, LDS researchers will to the hospital's commitment to patient-focused research.
  • Innovation in Treatment and Healthcare 
    Open science fosters innovation by facilitating the sharing of more of the research process; from analytical code to data and early research findings. By ensuring transparency in research, LDS researchers can help increase the efficiency of the process by which research findings are translated into novel clinical applications.
  • Quality Assurance
    Transparent peer review practices, pre-registration, the sharing of code and materials, and open access publication all contribute to the quality assurance of research outcomes, ensuring the hospital's commitment to high scientific standards.
  • Interdisciplinarity and collaboration
    Collaboration — especially collaboration across disciplines — relies on openness and clarity. Implementing open science practices can help improve the functioning of existing collaborations, as well fostering new ones. 

Research projects involving clinical medical and health science research, research biobanks or dispensation for confidentiality for other research projects must be submitted to and approved by REK and the hospital's Data Protection Officer.

 The project manager is responsibility for good research ethics throughout all phases of a research project and that all personnel involved in the project follow applicable ethical and legal requirements.

In cases where a person or group observes a case of ethics misconduct in any of the Lovisenberg’s research activities, the matter can be reported to the University of Oslo Commission on Research Integrity at The Faculty of Medicine, which will assess the matter.    

Dissemination:The systematic and intentional spreading of research findings to a broader audience. In the context of Lovisenberg's research strategy, dissemination involves sharing research outcomes with the scientific community, healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public. The goal is to ensure that research has a meaningful impact and reaches diverse audiences.

At Lovisenberg Hospital, we recognize the importance of disseminating research findings to maximize impact and reach within the scientific community. This strategy is designed to guide researchers in effectively sharing their work, increasing visibility and impact, and fostering collaboration on a national and international scale.

Recommendations and expectations for LDS researchers regarding dissemination:

  1. Publication
    Researchers should carefully select journals for publication, considering both visibility and thematic relevance. Publishing in reputable journals within the field that can enhance the visibility of your work. However, given that it may be possible to reach a broader audience by submitting to journals that are not discipline-specific, researchers should aim to strike a balance between breadth of potential readership and thematic alignment. The hospital’s research strategy states that, on an annual basis, a minimum of 40 scientific articles authored by hospital employees as first authors or significant contributors will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Of these, one-third of the publications should be in journals with a level 2 ranking (see https://kanalregister.hkdir.no/).
  2. Conference Presentations:
    Researchers should seek opportunities to present research findings at national and international conferences. These events provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and exposure within the research community. Participation in conferences enhances visibility and opens avenues for collaboration with researchers who share similar interests.
  3. Online engagement:
    Researchers should consider leveraging social media platforms to share key findings, publications, and updates related to your research – while remaining aware that short-form communication in these forums can present some difficulties. Research findings can be summarized on the research pages on the hospital website. Links to open access publications should be included where possible.
  4. Reciprocal Talks and Knowledge Exchange with Collaborating Partners:
    Researchers can foster collaboration by arranging reciprocal talks and knowledge exchange events with national and international partners. This collaborative approach enhances the dissemination of research findings to diverse audiences and encourages a two-way flow of knowledge.
  5. Seminar Events for Comprehensive Research Communication:
    Researchers may consider organising seminar events focused on specific research areas to communicate findings from a range of projects. These events provide a platform for in-depth discussions, cross-pollination of ideas, and exposure to a varied audience, enhancing the overall impact of the research.

Additional Considerations:
Researchers should refer to Lovisenberg Hospital's Open Science Policy for guidance on transparent and accessible research practices, and user engagement guide to ensure that research is communicated in a way that is accessible and meaningful to the broader public. 

Outreach:
Proactive efforts made by researchers to connect with external individuals, groups, or organizations, particularly patients, their families, and the general public. The aim is to establish meaningful communication, foster collaboration, and involve external stakeholders in the research process. 

User Engagement:
Actively involving and collaborating with individuals who directly interact with or are affected by healthcare services, such as patients, their families, and the wider public. 

Dissemination:
The systematic and intentional spreading of research findings to a broader audience. In the context of Lovisenberg's research strategy, dissemination involves sharing research outcomes with the scientific community, healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public. The goal is to ensure that research has a meaningful impact and reaches diverse audiences.

Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital is committed to conducting research that not only advances medical and health science but also makes a tangible difference in the lives of the people we serve. User engagement in an important component of delivering patient-centred research. Aligned with our overarching research strategy, this guide places a strong emphasis on actively engaging users – patients, their families, and the wider public – throughout the research process.

Recommendations and expectations for LDS researchers regarding user engagement

  1. Incorporating User Perspectives in Project Planning:
    Researchers should reach out to patient representative organizations, or an equivalent source of user expertise and perspectives, during the planning phase of their projects. This ensures that research questions align with the concerns and priorities of the users. Collaborating with these organizations fosters a deeper understanding of user needs and helps shape research objectives accordingly.
  2. The Hospital's User Committee:
    Our hospital's dedicated User Committee is a valuable resource to ensure that research remains user-oriented. Researchers are advised to collaborate with this committee, seeking their insights and perspectives to enhance the relevance and impact of their studies. Regular consultations can provide valuable input and guidance on user priorities.
  3. Understanding User Concerns through Focus Groups and Interviews:
    To gain comprehensive insights into the key concerns of users on specific research topics, researchers should consider using focus groups or interviews. These qualitative approaches allow researchers to delve into the lived experiences of users, ensuring that research is grounded in their needs and aspirations.
  4. Engagement in Communication and Dissemination:
    Effective communication and dissemination of research findings is crucial. Researchers should develop strategies to engage users and their communities in the dissemination process. This may involve creating user-friendly summaries, conducting public talks, or collaborating with patient advocacy groups to ensure that research findings are accessible and understandable to a broader audience.
  5. Language Sensitivities:
    While engaging users, researchers should be mindful of language sensitivities and nuances. Clear communication that avoids jargon is highly recommended. Researchers should be aware that preferred terminology often exists among user groups, but is not always consistently endorsed (either by all members of a given user group, or across time). It is recommended to researchers to be conscious and respectful of such debates, using language that a majority of users endorse where possible, and where the clarity and scientific rigor of the work is not affected by doing so.
  6. International Collaboration with User Inclusion
    In line with the hospital’s commitment to international collaboration, researchers should actively seek international collaborative partnerships that include the perspectives of users. This global approach ensures diverse insights and enriches the research process by considering cultural and contextual differences in healthcare experiences.


These guidelines are designed to help Lovisenberg researchers ensure that their work is not only scientifically robust but also deeply connected to the needs and experiences of the users, thereby realizing the hospital’s vision of research that makes a meaningful difference for people. User engagement and the incorporation of user perspectives should not override a researcher’s responsibility to maintain high standards of scientific integrity and accuracy, ensuring that the rigor of their work is maintained throughout the research process.

Technology Transfer Office Inven2 is responsible for the administration of reported inventions at Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital.

Innovation work can benefit the potential for research results to reach the

Inven2 will assess the commercial potential of the innovation, maintain intellectual property rights, promote commercialisation measures and business development for innovation from Lovisenberg research.

Last updated 1/29/2024