Bad research is not all bad.
Evidence
Policy
Trials
Journal
Trials
ISSN: 1745-6215
Titre abrégé: Trials
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101263253
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
20 Oct 2023
20 Oct 2023
Historique:
received:
17
01
2023
accepted:
04
10
2023
medline:
2
11
2023
pubmed:
21
10
2023
entrez:
20
10
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
In this commentary, we discuss a recent article in Trials that raised concerns about the number of poorly performed randomised trials in the medical literature and discuss the trials literature more widely. Although we all aim for higher methodological standards in trials, we argue that (i) the idea that 'most randomised trials are bad', which the recent article concludes is an overly simplistic representation of the situation, and (ii) the suggestion that an increased focus on methodological review during trial development (e.g. ethical boards performing some assessment of the methodologists on a trial), while well meaning, may have negative unintended consequences. We therefore propose that (a) trials should be assessed on their merits and weaknesses, including an assessment of risk of bias but placing that in a wider context; (b) we should recognise that although the methodological conduct of trials is of utmost importance, interventions that aim to improve this could have unintended consequences-such as bureaucracy-that have an overall negative effect; and (c) we should therefore generate an evidence base for policy interventions to improve conduct of trials rather than applying arbitrary rules.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37864198
doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07706-1
pii: 10.1186/s13063-023-07706-1
pmc: PMC10588138
doi:
Types de publication
Letter
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
680Subventions
Organisme : Wellcome Trust
Pays : United Kingdom
Organisme : Wellcome Trust
ID : 222894/Z/21/Z
Pays : United Kingdom
Informations de copyright
© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
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