GRADE guidelines: 5. Rating the quality of evidence--publication bias.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
In the GRADE approach, randomized trials start as high-quality evidence and observational studies as low-quality evidence, but both can be rated down if a body of evidence is associated with a high risk of publication bias. Even when individual studies included in best-evidence summaries have a low risk of bias, publication bias can result in substantial overestimates of effect. Authors should suspect publication bias when available evidence comes from a number of small studies, most of which have been commercially funded. A number of approaches based on examination of the pattern of data are available to help assess publication bias. The most popular of these is the funnel plot; all, however, have substantial limitations. Publication bias is likely frequent, and caution in the face of early results, particularly with small sample size and number of events, is warranted.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Guyatt, GH; Oxman, AD; Montori, V; Vist, G; Kunz, R; Brozek, J; Alonso-Coello, P; Djulbegovic, B; Atkins, D; Falck-Ytter, Y; Williams, JW; Meerpohl, J; Norris, SL; Akl, EA; Schünemann, HJ
Published Date
- December 2011
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 64 / 12
Start / End Page
- 1277 - 1282
PubMed ID
- 21802904
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1878-5921
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2011.01.011
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States