title: A systematic review highlights a knowledge gap regarding the effectiveness of health-related training programs in journalology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether training in writing for scholarly publication, journal editing, or manuscript peer review effectively improves educational outcomes related to the quality of health research reporting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library for comparative studies of formalized, a priori-developed training programs in writing for scholarly publication, journal editing, or manuscript peer review. Comparators included the following: (1) before and after administration of a training program, (2) between two or more training programs, or (3) between a training program and any other (or no) intervention(s). Outcomes included any measure of effectiveness of training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighteen reports of 17 studies were included. Twelve studies focused on writing for publication, five on peer review, and none fit our criteria for journal editing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Included studies were generally small and inconclusive regarding the effects of training of authors, peer reviewers, and editors on educational outcomes related to improving the quality of health research. Studies were also of questionable validity and susceptible to misinterpretation because of their risk of bias. This review highlights the gaps in our knowledge of how to enhance and ensure the scientific quality of research output for authors, peer reviewers, and journal editors.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building (CPCR 1) The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus 501 Smyth Road, PO Box 201B, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6. Electronic address: jgalipeau@ohri.ca.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galipeau
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building (CPCR 1) The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus 501 Smyth Road, PO Box 201B, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6; Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451, Smyth Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moher
authors.affiliation: Office of Professional Affairs, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, 774 Echo Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1S 5N8.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451, Smyth Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hendry
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building (CPCR 1) The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus 501 Smyth Road, PO Box 201B, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6; Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451, Smyth Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5.
authors.forename: D William
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, University of British Columbia, 588 - 1081 Burrard Street, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 1Y6.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palepu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Hôpital Notre-Dame, 1560, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H2L 4M1.
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hébert
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D004493:Education / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017712:Peer Review, Research / Q000592:standards*; D011643:Publishing / Q000592:standards*; D058028:Research Report / Q000592:standards*; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D015983:Selection Bias; D014956:Writing / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Author; Editor; Journalology; Manuscript; Peer review; Systematic review