Although publication bias is known to be a serious problem that public drug trial registration is meant to address, only a fraction of journals require registration. A British Medical Journal study published this week finds that editors and publishers may not understand the requirements or benefits of registration, fear that such a policy places them at a competitive disadvantage, and reluctance to reject submissions from developing countries.
Note from the Editor:
The writers of this article have expressed an interest in responding to comments (and, I assume, questions), and also in writing something for Mad in America if they “get a burst of inspiration/free time.”
Let’s hope we inspire them.
Wager, E., Williams, P.; “Hardly worth the effort”? Medical journals’ policies and their editors’ and publishers’ views on trial registration and publication bias: quantitative and qualitative study. British Medical Journal. Online September 6, 2013. BMJ 2013; 347 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f5248
