Research transparency in articles published in orthodontic journals: is it clear?

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Research Integrity
• Scientific Publishing

Background:

• Growing concerns about research transparency in scientific literature.
• Need to assess adherence to key transparency practices in leading orthodontic journals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the trend of reporting transparency practices (data sharing, code sharing, COI disclosure, funding disclosure, protocol registration) in three major orthodontic journals over time.
• To identify associations between conflict of interest (COI) disclosure and publication characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Scopus database search for articles from 2013, 2018, and 2023 in three orthodontic journals.
• Independent data extraction and analysis of reporting frequencies for transparency indicators.
• Univariable logistic regression to examine associations with COI disclosure.

Main Results:

• 1498 articles analyzed; low rates of data sharing statements (60.7% no statement) and no code sharing statements.
• Protocol registration (approx. 70% not registered) and funding disclosure (32.7%) varied significantly between journals.
• Improvements in reporting transparency indicators were observed over time, except for code sharing.

Conclusions:

• While improvements are evident, orthodontic journals require enhanced reporting of research transparency indicators.
• Journals and editors should actively promote transparent research conduct and open science principles.