An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature
Objective Analyses of the impact of a body of clinical trial reports subject to research misconduct have been few. Our objective was to examine the impact on clinically relevant research of a group of researchers’ trial reports (‘affected trial reports’) affected by research misconduct, and whether...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2019-10-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e031909.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850057122552741888 |
|---|---|
| author | Fiona Stewart Alison Avenell Andrew Grey Greg Gamble Mark Bolland |
| author_facet | Fiona Stewart Alison Avenell Andrew Grey Greg Gamble Mark Bolland |
| author_sort | Fiona Stewart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective Analyses of the impact of a body of clinical trial reports subject to research misconduct have been few. Our objective was to examine the impact on clinically relevant research of a group of researchers’ trial reports (‘affected trial reports’) affected by research misconduct, and whether identification of misconduct invoked a reappraisal.Design In 2016, we used five databases and search engines to identify ‘citing publications’, that is, guidelines, systematic and other reviews, and clinical trials citing any of 12 affected trial reports, published 1998–2011, eventually retracted for research misconduct. The affected trial reports were assessed more likely to have had impact because they had hip fracture outcomes and were in journals with impact factor >4. Two authors assessed whether findings of the citing publications would change if the affected trial reports were removed. In 2018, we searched for evidence that the citing publications had undertaken a reassessment as a result of the potential influence of the affected trial reports.Results By 2016 the affected trial reports were cited in 1158 publications, including 68 systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, guidelines and clinical trials. We judged that 13 guidelines, systematic or other reviews would likely change their findings if the affected trial reports were removed, and in another eight it was unclear if findings would change. By 2018, only one of the 68 citing publications, a systematic review, appeared to have undertaken a reassessment, which led to a correction.Conclusions We found evidence that this group of affected trial reports distorted the evidence base. Correction of these distortions is slow, uncoordinated and inconsistent. Unless there is a rapid, systematic, coordinated approach by bibliographic databases, authors, journals and publishers to mitigate the impact of known cases of research misconduct, patients, other researchers and their funders may continue to be adversely affected. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d85ab9a761b14c52a771707f8a7d16d1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-d85ab9a761b14c52a771707f8a7d16d12025-08-20T02:51:31ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552019-10-0191010.1136/bmjopen-2019-031909An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literatureFiona Stewart0Alison Avenell1Andrew Grey2Greg Gamble3Mark Bolland41 Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK1 Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKDepartment of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand2 Department of Medicine, The University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Auckland, New Zealandassociate professorObjective Analyses of the impact of a body of clinical trial reports subject to research misconduct have been few. Our objective was to examine the impact on clinically relevant research of a group of researchers’ trial reports (‘affected trial reports’) affected by research misconduct, and whether identification of misconduct invoked a reappraisal.Design In 2016, we used five databases and search engines to identify ‘citing publications’, that is, guidelines, systematic and other reviews, and clinical trials citing any of 12 affected trial reports, published 1998–2011, eventually retracted for research misconduct. The affected trial reports were assessed more likely to have had impact because they had hip fracture outcomes and were in journals with impact factor >4. Two authors assessed whether findings of the citing publications would change if the affected trial reports were removed. In 2018, we searched for evidence that the citing publications had undertaken a reassessment as a result of the potential influence of the affected trial reports.Results By 2016 the affected trial reports were cited in 1158 publications, including 68 systematic reviews, meta-analyses, narrative reviews, guidelines and clinical trials. We judged that 13 guidelines, systematic or other reviews would likely change their findings if the affected trial reports were removed, and in another eight it was unclear if findings would change. By 2018, only one of the 68 citing publications, a systematic review, appeared to have undertaken a reassessment, which led to a correction.Conclusions We found evidence that this group of affected trial reports distorted the evidence base. Correction of these distortions is slow, uncoordinated and inconsistent. Unless there is a rapid, systematic, coordinated approach by bibliographic databases, authors, journals and publishers to mitigate the impact of known cases of research misconduct, patients, other researchers and their funders may continue to be adversely affected.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e031909.full |
| spellingShingle | Fiona Stewart Alison Avenell Andrew Grey Greg Gamble Mark Bolland An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature BMJ Open |
| title | An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature |
| title_full | An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature |
| title_fullStr | An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature |
| title_short | An investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research: systematic search of affected literature |
| title_sort | investigation into the impact and implications of published papers from retracted research systematic search of affected literature |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e031909.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fionastewart aninvestigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT alisonavenell aninvestigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT andrewgrey aninvestigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT greggamble aninvestigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT markbolland aninvestigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT fionastewart investigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT alisonavenell investigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT andrewgrey investigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT greggamble investigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature AT markbolland investigationintotheimpactandimplicationsofpublishedpapersfromretractedresearchsystematicsearchofaffectedliterature |