Authors Disclosing Their Theistic Orientation in Journal Articles on Religion and Health? Infrequent, Informal, and Mostly Inconsistent with Conflict of Interest

AbstractAn international survey was conducted of authors (N = 288) in the religion–health (R–H) research field concerning the disclosure of their theistic orientation (T-O) (i.e., whether they believe in God[s], a Higher Power, or a universal spirit) in their journal articles. Most (74%) of the respondents said they never disclose their T-O in this co ntext; e.g., because they feel the information is private (20%), irrelevant (36%), unimportant (56%), and/or likely to make them appear less credible (36%). Atheists were four times less likely than deists and gnostic theists were to disclose their T-O; authors who conducted experimental research an d published more frequently were also less likely to disclose their T-O. When disclosure did occur, it was more likely to take place informally within the narrative of manuscripts. Most (66%) of the respondents did not view their T-O as a competing interest (CI). Agnostic theism and the absence of t heistic belief were less likely to be experienced as CIs than gnostic theism, deism, and atheism were. The respondents predominantly disagreed both that T-O should be characterized as a CI (48%) and that authors in the R–H field should disclose their T-O as such (59%). Only 18% of the authors in t his study who did perceive their T-O as a CI reported that they formally disclose that information to journals or publishers, while the majority (59%) of those authors said they never disclose the information in this context at all. The ...

Source: Journal of Religion and Health - January 16, 2020 Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research