The Role of Social Media on the Research Productivity of Neurosurgeons During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic committees of all countries restricted face-to-face interactions. This study aimed to determine how the pandemic changed the research output for many neurosurgeons while highlighting how social media may have been used as a contactless platform to maintain research productivity during these times. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, 24-item, and non-randomized online survey was applied worldwide, and shared using social media platforms and emails. The questions mainly focused on comparing the results of the pre-pandemic period to the pandemic period (after March 2020). RESULTS: A total of 202 respondents from 60 different countries responded to the survey. Interest in neurosurgical education increased from 24% to 76%, while the topic of epidemiology gained interest from 28% to 72% when the pre-pandemic era was compared to the pandemic era. Preference for prospective studies decreased from 66% to 34%, while interest in retrospective studies increased from 39% to 61%. In evaluating publication types, the preference for reviews increased from 36% to 64%. Sixty-two percent of the respondents stated they had concerns over delays in individual contributions/lack of accountability. These concerns were followed by problems with theft of intellectual property/data and authorship disputes. Forty-one percent believed that the support of extra hands on a load-heavy project was the most powerful benefit of social media collaboration. Those who reported increased publications during the pandemic were also more likely to collaborate using social media (P = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: During the pandemic, social media collaborations helped increase research output for neurosurgeons.