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Underreporting Research Is Scientific Misconduct
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1990
Year
Patient SelectionClinical EndpointScience EthicLawResearch EthicsTechnology LawClinical EpidemiologyClinical TrialsRandomized Controlled TrialClinical OutcomesClinical EfficacyHealth SciencesClinical Trial ManagementClinical Trial AnalysisClinical StudiesOutcomes ResearchScientific MisconductPreregistration (Science)Medical EthicsClinical EffectivenessResearch MisconductMedicineClinical Trial EvaluationClinical Trial Design
Many clinical trials remain unpublished or inadequately reported, constituting scientific misconduct that can mislead clinicians and burden stakeholders who must work to reduce underreporting. The study proposes that broader prospective trial registration at inception can aid stakeholders in mitigating underreporting. JAMA 1990;263:1405‑1408.
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. (<i>JAMA</i>. 1990;263:1405-1408)