However, it is an assumption that information published in reputable journals is always reliable. An important factor that reduces the credibility of published articles is “publication bias”. This bias favors the publication of certain results, and makes it more difficult or impossible to publish other results. A good example of this bias is observed in medicine, in relation to the results of drug trial studies, where new drugs for the treatment of diseases are tested on patients to ensure that they are safe and beneficial. Given the worldwide demand for effective medicines to provide health care for millions every day, the reliability of information published in medical journals is an important global issue.
In this final exam, we invite you to critically assess two resources discussing “publication bias” in medical journals and its impact on doctors and patients.
This final exam is a three-stage exercise, based on the two resources:
Stage 1: We would like you to read the article ‘Medical Journal Cites Misleading Drug Research’ written by Denise Grady and published in 1999 in The New York Times. Transcript of this article is available here. This press article will be referred in the exam questions as Resource 1. Note that this press article is based on an original article and editorial published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Stage 2: We would like you to watch the video of a talk given by Dr Ben Goldacre at a TED Conference in 2012 entitled “What doctors don't know about the drugs they prescribe”. Dr. Goldacre is a very well-known physician himself with strong views on the subject of bad science. The recording of the talk is about 14 minutes long, and we have provided a full transcript for you here to download. This transcript of the talk is Resource 2. Note that in Resource 2 we have numbered the paragraphs, and some of the questions in this assessment refer to these numbered paragraphs.
Stage 3: Once you have read the New York Times press article, watched the TED talk video and read the transcript, answer the following 12 questions relating to these two Resources.