What is the result of publication bias?

Where publication bias is present, published studies are no longer a representative sample of the available evidence. This bias distorts the results of meta-analyses and systematic reviews. For example, evidence-based medicine is increasingly reliant on meta-analysis to assess evidence.

What are the consequences of publication bias?

In the presence of publication bias, belief in the relationship increases artificially and iteratively with each positive publication. This, in turn, diminishes the credibility of hypothesis testing because it is based on biased information, and calls into question the integrity of the entire experimental framework.

What is publication bias significant results?

Revised on February 15, 2023. Publication bias refers to the selective publication of research studies based on their results. Here, studies with positive findings are more likely to be published than studies with negative findings. Positive findings are also likely to be published quicker than negative ones.

What is the significance of publication bias?

Publication bias refers to the phenomenon that studies published in peer-refereed journals are much more likely to report statistically significant results than are studies that report a nonsignificant conclusion, especially for smaller studies.

What is the risk of publication bias?

Specifically, the conclusions of the review may be compromised when decisions about how, when and where to report results of eligible studies are influenced by the nature and direction of the results. This is the problem of 'non-reporting bias' (also described as 'publication bias' and 'selective reporting bias').

Publication Bias

How is publication bias an ethical issue?

Apparently, publication bias poses serious threats to the integrity of scientific research. It prevents us from consuming objective, true, and unbiased research, and introduces much error in what we read and believe. Thus, publication bias and relevant topics should be addressed in research ethics modules and courses.

Why is bias bad in research?

Why is bias in research a problem? Research bias affects the validity and reliability of your research findings, leading to false conclusions and a misinterpretation of the truth.

How do you overcome publication bias?

Bias can be minimized by (1) insisting on high-quality research and thorough literature reviews, (2) eliminating the double standard concerning peer review and informed consent applied to clinical research and practice, (3) publishing legitimate trials regardless of their results, (4) requiring peer reviewers to ...

What type of bias is publication bias?

Publication bias is a type of reporting bias and closely related to dissemination bias, although dissemination bias generally applies to all forms of results dissemination, not simply journal publications.

What is a real life example of publication bias?

Publication Bias: is when certain types of studies are published over others. A real-life example of publication bias is a study was published about an antidepressant that was not approved for use in the U.S., but has been approved in other countries.

Why publication bias is a threat to systematic reviews?

Evidence selection bias occurs when a systematic review does not identify all available data on a topic. This can arise from publication bias, where data from statistically significant studies are more likely to be published than those that are not statistically significant.

What is an example of publication bias in research?

Publication bias occurs when one type of study result is more likely to be published than another. For example, publishing results of studies that show a new treatment provides significant benefits, but not always publishing studies that show less or no benefit, will lead to publication bias.

How do you account for publication bias?

One way to detect publication bias in your meta-analysis is to use funnel plots and statistical tests. A funnel plot is a scatter plot of the effect sizes of the studies versus their standard errors or sample sizes.

Is publication bias intentional?

Bias may be introduced intentionally or unintentionally, consciously or unconsciously, into the process of research dissemination. 3,18 The dissemination profile of research may be influenced by investigators, study sponsors, peer reviewers, and journal editors.

What are the 3 main types of bias?

Three types of bias can be distinguished: information bias, selection bias, and confounding. These three types of bias and their potential solutions are discussed using various examples.

How can bias be corrected?

Is reporting bias the same as publication bias?

Reporting bias (publication bias or outcome reporting bias) occurs when the decision to report depends on the direction or magnitude of the findings. In clinical research, registration of trials prior to data collection is used to prevent selective reporting ( Chan et al., 2017; Gopal et al., 2018).

Is it okay to be biased in research?

Bias causes false conclusions and is potentially misleading. Therefore, it is immoral and unethical to conduct biased research. Every scientist should thus be aware of all potential sources of bias and undertake all possible actions to reduce or minimize the deviation from the truth.

Is bias an ethical issue?

As indicated, biases may pose ethical problems, such as stigmatization, discrimination, and injustice.

Why is there a publication bias against no effect?

Publication bias can also arise from decisions of journal editors and peer reviewers to reject studies with null results because: “negative results have never made riveting reading”; the study may be similar to the peer-reviewer's own work; they may be biased against research in different fields; or because studies ...

How do you deal with publication bias in meta-analysis?

If you identified bias in your meta-analysis, the next step is to conduct sensitivity analyses by running several publication bias correction tests. This will help you assess the reliability of the results under different assumptions and correction methods.

How do you interpret a funnel plot for publication bias?

Presence of large “holes”—most often seen close to the bottom—or asymmetry in the plot indicates publication bias, though these holes may have other causes, such as study heterogeneity.

Does publication bias cause heterogeneity?

Our results show that the effect of publication bias on the Q test and assessment of heterogeneity is large, complex, and nonlinear. Publication bias can both dramatically decrease and increase heterogeneity in true effect size, particularly if the number of studies is large and population effect size is small.

Which research method is vulnerable to publication bias?

They found that observational, laboratory-based experimental studies and non-randomised trials had a greater risk of publication bias than randomised clinical trials.

How many studies are needed for publication bias?

Second, investigators should use appropriate techniques to assess publication bias such as Egger's regression or symmetry of funnel plots whenever there are greater than 10 studies combined in a meta-analysis (with less than 10 the assessment methods are not very reliable).