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March 9, 1990, Vol 263, No. 10 >
ARTICLE | March 9, 1990

Underreporting Research Is Scientific Misconduct FREE

lain Chalmers, FRCOG
[+] Author Affiliations

Presented at The First International Congress on Peer Review in Biomedical Publication, Chicago, Ill, May 10-12, 1989.

Reprint requests to National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford OX2 6HE, England (Dr Chalmers).


JAMA. 1990;263(10):1405-1408. doi:10.1001/jama.1990.03440100121018
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Article
References

Substantial numbers of clinical trials are never reported in print, and among those that are, many are not reported in sufficient detail to enable judgments to be made about the validity of their results. Failure to publish an adequate account of a well-designed clinical trial is a form of scientific misconduct that can lead those caring for patients to make inappropriate treatment decisions. Investigators, research ethics committees, funding bodies, and scientific editors all have responsibilities to reduce underreporting of clinical trials. An extended use of prospective registration of trials at inception, as well as benefiting clinical research in other ways, could help people to play their respective roles in reducing underreporting of clinical trials.

(JAMA. 1990;263:1405-1408)

REFERENCES

1 +
Dickersin K.  The existence of publication bias and risk factors for its occurrence . JAMA. 1990;;263:1385-1389.
2 +
Chalmers I, Adams M, Dickersin K, et al.  A cohort study of controlled trials published as short reports . JAMA. 1990;;263:1401-1405.
3 +
Chalmers I.  Misconduct in medical research . Br Med J. 1989;;298:256.
4 +
Simes RJ.  Publication bias: the case for an international registry of clinical trials . J Clin Oncol. 1986;;4:1529-1541.
5 +
Simes RJ.  Confronting publication bias: a cohort design for meta-analysis . Stat Med. 1987;;6:11-29.
6 +
Crowther C, Chalmers I.  Bed rest and hospitalization during pregnancy . In: Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1989;:624-632.
7 +
Saunders MC, Dick JS, Brown IM, McPherson K, Chalmers I.  The effects of hospital admission for bed rest on the duration of twin pregnancy: a randomised trial . Lancet. 1985;;2:793-795.
8 +
Hartikainen-Sorri AL, Jouppila P.  Is routine hospitalization needed in the antenatal care of twin pregnancy? J Perinat Med. 1984;;12:31-34.
9 +
Neilson J, Grant A.  Ultrasound in pregnancy . In: Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 1989;: 419-439.
10 +
Chalmers I, ed. Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1989;.
11 +
Eik-Nes SH, Okland O, Aure JC, Ulstein M.  Ultrasound screening in pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial . Lancet 1984;;1:1347.
12 +
Eik-Nes SH, Okland O.  Ultrasound screening of pregnant women—a prospective randomized study . In: Diagnostic Imaging in Pregnancy . Washington, DC: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1984;:207-213. Publication 84-667.
13 +
Chalmers I, Hetherington J, Elbourne D, Keirse MJNC, Enkin M.  Materials and methods used to evaluate the effects of care during pregnancy and childbirth . In: Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1989;:39-65.
14 +
Hetherington J, Dickersin K, Chalmers I, Meinert CL.  Retrospective and prospective identification of unpublished controlled trials: lessons from a survey of obstetricians and paediatricians . Pediatrics. 1989;;84:374-380.
15 +
Chalmers I, Hetherington J, Newdick M, et al.  The Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials: developing a register of published reports of controlled trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1986;;7:306-324.
16 +
Dickersin K, Hewitt P, Mutch L, Chalmers I, Chalmers TC.  Comparison of MEDLINE searching with a perinatal clinical trials database . Controlled Clin Trials . 1985;;6:306-317.
17 +
Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 1989;.
18 +
Dickersin K, Chan SS, Chalmers TC, Sacks HS, Smith H.  Publication bias in randomized control trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1987;;8:343-353.
19 +
Chalmers I.  Proposal to outlaw the term 'negative trial.' Br Med J. 1985;;290:1002.
20 +
Noiry J-P.  Vivent les essais negatifs! Rev Prescrire . 1989;;9:281.
21 +
Dickersin K.  Reference bias in reports of drug trials . Br Med J. 1987;;295:1066-1067.
22 +
Dickersin K. Publication Bias and the Meta-analysis of Clinical Trials. Baltimore, Md: The Johns Hopkins University; 1989:254. Thesis.
23 +
Rahimtoola SH.  Some unexpected lessons from large multicenter randomized clinical trials . Circulation. 1985;;72:449-455.
24 +
Piantadosi S, Byar DP.  A proposal for registering clinical trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;;9:82-84.
25 +
Newcombe RG.  Towards a reduction in publication bias . Br Med J. 1987;;295:656-659.
26 +
 International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Statements from the Vancouver Group . Br Med J. 1989;;299:1394-1395.
27 +
 National Institutes of Health Publications . Compilation of Experimental Cancer Therapy Protocol Summaries . Washington, DC: Dept of Health and Human Services; 1977;-1983.
28 +
Hubbard SM, Henney JE, DeVita VT.  A computer database for information on cancer treatment . N Engl J Med. 1987;;316:315-318.
29 +
Dutcher GA.  AIDSTRIALS and AIDS-DRUGS . Natl Library Med Tech Bull. (July) 1989;:17.
30 +
Daum M.  DENTALPROJ now online . Natl Library Med Tech Bull. (July) 1989;:13.
31 +
 UK Cancer Trials Register . Lancet . 1982;; 1:293.
32 +
Buyse M, Firket P, de Conninck A, Staquet M.  EUROCODE: a computerized network for clinical trials in oncology . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;; 9:259.
33 +
Verstraete M.  Registry of prospective clinical trials—first report . Thromb Haemost. 1975;;33:655-663.
34 +
Boissel J.  Registry of multicenter clinical trials: seventh report—1985 . Thromb Haemost. 1986;;55:282-291.
35 +
Dickersin K.  Report from the Panel on the Case for Registers of Clinical Trials at the 8th Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;;6:306-317.
36 +
Meinert CL.  Towards prospective registration of clinical trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;;9:1-5.
37 +
Nicholson RH.  Replication of clinical trials . Br Med J. 1986;;293:518.
38 +
Begg CB, Berlin JA.  Publication bias: a problem in interpreting medical data . J R Stat Soc. 1988;;151:419-463.

Figures

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Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature

Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal

1 +
Dickersin K.  The existence of publication bias and risk factors for its occurrence . JAMA. 1990;;263:1385-1389.
2 +
Chalmers I, Adams M, Dickersin K, et al.  A cohort study of controlled trials published as short reports . JAMA. 1990;;263:1401-1405.
3 +
Chalmers I.  Misconduct in medical research . Br Med J. 1989;;298:256.
4 +
Simes RJ.  Publication bias: the case for an international registry of clinical trials . J Clin Oncol. 1986;;4:1529-1541.
5 +
Simes RJ.  Confronting publication bias: a cohort design for meta-analysis . Stat Med. 1987;;6:11-29.
6 +
Crowther C, Chalmers I.  Bed rest and hospitalization during pregnancy . In: Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1989;:624-632.
7 +
Saunders MC, Dick JS, Brown IM, McPherson K, Chalmers I.  The effects of hospital admission for bed rest on the duration of twin pregnancy: a randomised trial . Lancet. 1985;;2:793-795.
8 +
Hartikainen-Sorri AL, Jouppila P.  Is routine hospitalization needed in the antenatal care of twin pregnancy? J Perinat Med. 1984;;12:31-34.
9 +
Neilson J, Grant A.  Ultrasound in pregnancy . In: Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 1989;: 419-439.
10 +
Chalmers I, ed. Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1989;.
11 +
Eik-Nes SH, Okland O, Aure JC, Ulstein M.  Ultrasound screening in pregnancy: a randomised controlled trial . Lancet 1984;;1:1347.
12 +
Eik-Nes SH, Okland O.  Ultrasound screening of pregnant women—a prospective randomized study . In: Diagnostic Imaging in Pregnancy . Washington, DC: US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1984;:207-213. Publication 84-667.
13 +
Chalmers I, Hetherington J, Elbourne D, Keirse MJNC, Enkin M.  Materials and methods used to evaluate the effects of care during pregnancy and childbirth . In: Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, England: Oxford University Press; 1989;:39-65.
14 +
Hetherington J, Dickersin K, Chalmers I, Meinert CL.  Retrospective and prospective identification of unpublished controlled trials: lessons from a survey of obstetricians and paediatricians . Pediatrics. 1989;;84:374-380.
15 +
Chalmers I, Hetherington J, Newdick M, et al.  The Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials: developing a register of published reports of controlled trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1986;;7:306-324.
16 +
Dickersin K, Hewitt P, Mutch L, Chalmers I, Chalmers TC.  Comparison of MEDLINE searching with a perinatal clinical trials database . Controlled Clin Trials . 1985;;6:306-317.
17 +
Chalmers I, Enkin M, Keirse MJNC, eds. Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth . Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press; 1989;.
18 +
Dickersin K, Chan SS, Chalmers TC, Sacks HS, Smith H.  Publication bias in randomized control trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1987;;8:343-353.
19 +
Chalmers I.  Proposal to outlaw the term 'negative trial.' Br Med J. 1985;;290:1002.
20 +
Noiry J-P.  Vivent les essais negatifs! Rev Prescrire . 1989;;9:281.
21 +
Dickersin K.  Reference bias in reports of drug trials . Br Med J. 1987;;295:1066-1067.
22 +
Dickersin K. Publication Bias and the Meta-analysis of Clinical Trials. Baltimore, Md: The Johns Hopkins University; 1989:254. Thesis.
23 +
Rahimtoola SH.  Some unexpected lessons from large multicenter randomized clinical trials . Circulation. 1985;;72:449-455.
24 +
Piantadosi S, Byar DP.  A proposal for registering clinical trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;;9:82-84.
25 +
Newcombe RG.  Towards a reduction in publication bias . Br Med J. 1987;;295:656-659.
26 +
 International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Statements from the Vancouver Group . Br Med J. 1989;;299:1394-1395.
27 +
 National Institutes of Health Publications . Compilation of Experimental Cancer Therapy Protocol Summaries . Washington, DC: Dept of Health and Human Services; 1977;-1983.
28 +
Hubbard SM, Henney JE, DeVita VT.  A computer database for information on cancer treatment . N Engl J Med. 1987;;316:315-318.
29 +
Dutcher GA.  AIDSTRIALS and AIDS-DRUGS . Natl Library Med Tech Bull. (July) 1989;:17.
30 +
Daum M.  DENTALPROJ now online . Natl Library Med Tech Bull. (July) 1989;:13.
31 +
 UK Cancer Trials Register . Lancet . 1982;; 1:293.
32 +
Buyse M, Firket P, de Conninck A, Staquet M.  EUROCODE: a computerized network for clinical trials in oncology . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;; 9:259.
33 +
Verstraete M.  Registry of prospective clinical trials—first report . Thromb Haemost. 1975;;33:655-663.
34 +
Boissel J.  Registry of multicenter clinical trials: seventh report—1985 . Thromb Haemost. 1986;;55:282-291.
35 +
Dickersin K.  Report from the Panel on the Case for Registers of Clinical Trials at the 8th Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;;6:306-317.
36 +
Meinert CL.  Towards prospective registration of clinical trials . Controlled Clin Trials. 1988;;9:1-5.
37 +
Nicholson RH.  Replication of clinical trials . Br Med J. 1986;;293:518.
38 +
Begg CB, Berlin JA.  Publication bias: a problem in interpreting medical data . J R Stat Soc. 1988;;151:419-463.

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