Display options
Cite
Song F, Loke Y, Hooper L. Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators. PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e110418doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110418.
Song, F., Loke, Y., & Hooper, L. (2014). Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators. PloS one, 9(10), e110418. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110418
Song, Fujian, et al. "Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators." PloS one vol. 9,10 (2014): e110418. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110418
Song F, Loke Y, Hooper L. Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators. PLoS One. 2014 Oct 15;9(10):e110418. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110418. eCollection 2014. PMID: 25335091; PMCID: PMC4198242.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 15;9(10):e110418. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110418. eCollection 2014.

Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators.

PloS one

Fujian Song, Yoon Loke, Lee Hooper

Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Health & Primary Care, Norwich Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, United Kingdom.

PMID: 25335091 PMCID: PMC4198242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110418

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: About half of medical and health-related studies are not published. We conducted a systematic review of reports on reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies in peer-reviewed journals.

METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS (until 13/09/2013), and references of identified articles were searched to identify reports of surveys that provided data on reasons given by investigators for not publishing studies. The proportion of non-submission and reasons for non-publication was calculated using the number of unpublished studies as the denominator. Because of heterogeneity across studies, quantitative pooling was not conducted. Exploratory subgroup analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: We included 54 survey reports. Data from 38 included reports were available to estimate proportions of at least one reason given for not publishing studies. The proportion of non-submission among unpublished studies ranged from 55% to 100%, with a median of 85%. The reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies included: lack of time or low priority (median 33%), studies being incomplete (median 15%), study not for publication (median 14%), manuscript in preparation or under review (median 12%), unimportant or negative result (median 12%), poor study quality or design (median 11%), fear of rejection (median 12%), rejection by journals (median 6%), author or co-author problems (median 10%), and sponsor or funder problems (median 9%). In general, the frequency of reasons given for non-publication was not associated with the source of unpublished studies, study design, or time when a survey was conducted.

CONCLUSIONS: Non-submission of studies for publication remains the main cause of non-publication of studies. Measures to reduce non-publication of studies and alternative models of research dissemination need to be developed to address the main reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies, such as lack of time or low priority and fear of being rejected by journals.

References

  1. Public Health. 1996 Jan;110(1):61-3 - PubMed
  2. PLoS One. 2014 Jan 17;9(1):e84896 - PubMed
  3. J Med Libr Assoc. 2010 Jul;98(3):250-5 - PubMed
  4. PLoS Clin Trials. 2006 Oct 27;1(6):e31 - PubMed
  5. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2003 Jan;85(1):158-63 - PubMed
  6. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2007 May-Jun;14(3):368-71 - PubMed
  7. PLoS One. 2014 Feb 19;9(2):e87184 - PubMed
  8. J Vet Med Educ. 2006 Spring;33(1):145-8 - PubMed
  9. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2006 Jan;88(1):57-61 - PubMed
  10. Aust Fam Physician. 2006 Aug;35(8):655-6 - PubMed
  11. Fam Med. 2009 Feb;41(2):120-5 - PubMed
  12. Online J Curr Clin Trials. 1993 Apr 28;Doc No 50:[4967 words; 53 paragraphs] - PubMed
  13. BMJ. 2013 Sep 06;347:f5248 - PubMed
  14. JAMA. 1998 Jul 15;280(3):257-9 - PubMed
  15. Science. 2013 Dec 6;342(6163):1169-70 - PubMed
  16. PLoS One. 2010 Apr 21;5(4):e10271 - PubMed
  17. Pharmacoeconomics. 1997 Nov;12(5):511-6 - PubMed
  18. BMJ. 2013 Dec 10;347:f7199 - PubMed
  19. Trials. 2010 Apr 13;11:37 - PubMed
  20. JAMA. 2003 Jul 23;290(4):495-501 - PubMed
  21. Thorax. 2011 Jun;66(6):459-60 - PubMed
  22. Lancet. 2014 Jan 11;383(9912):156-65 - PubMed
  23. JAMA. 1990 Mar 9;263(10):1405-8 - PubMed
  24. Can Vet J. 2012 Jun;53(6):587-8 - PubMed
  25. F1000Res. 2013 Jan 02;2:1 - PubMed
  26. JAMA. 1992 Jan 15;267(3):374-8 - PubMed
  27. Arch Argent Pediatr. 2009 Dec;107(6):504-9, e1 - PubMed
  28. Med Educ. 2002 Aug;36(8):693-4 - PubMed
  29. PLoS One. 2012;7(9):e43404 - PubMed
  30. Lancet. 2014 Jan 18;383(9913):257-66 - PubMed
  31. JAMA. 1998 Jul 15;280(3):250-3 - PubMed
  32. BMJ. 1994 Jan 29;308(6924):283-4 - PubMed
  33. JAMA. 2014 Jan 22-29;311(4):405-11 - PubMed
  34. Lancet. 2014 Jan 11;383(9912):166-75 - PubMed
  35. PLoS One. 2013 Sep 04;8(9):e73381 - PubMed
  36. BMC Public Health. 2006 Jun 22;6:165 - PubMed
  37. BMJ. 2013 Jun 13;346:f2865 - PubMed
  38. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004 Oct;158(10):983-7 - PubMed
  39. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2002 Apr 26;2:7 - PubMed
  40. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2001 Fall;17(4):601-3 - PubMed
  41. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2010 Nov;66(11):1081-9 - PubMed
  42. Nature. 2012 Aug 2;488(7409):19 - PubMed
  43. Evid Based Med. 2012 Jun;17(3):69-70 - PubMed
  44. J Biomed Inform. 2013 Feb;46(1):139-41 - PubMed
  45. JAMA. 2013 Nov 27;310(20):2191-4 - PubMed
  46. J Clin Epidemiol. 2006 Dec;59(12):1312-8 - PubMed
  47. PLoS One. 2013 Jun 20;8(6):e66463 - PubMed
  48. Arch Argent Pediatr. 2011 Feb;109(1):56-9 - PubMed
  49. Am J Clin Oncol. 2009 Jun;32(3):253-7 - PubMed
  50. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009 Jun;62(6):617-623.e5 - PubMed
  51. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2009;64(4):345-9 - PubMed
  52. Nurse Educ Today. 2008 Aug;28(6):744-50 - PubMed
  53. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 05;8(7):e66844 - PubMed
  54. Control Clin Trials. 1987 Dec;8(4):343-53 - PubMed
  55. Matern Child Nutr. 2011 Oct;7(4):333-4 - PubMed
  56. World J Urol. 2010 Feb;28(1):63-9 - PubMed
  57. Psychol Rep. 2006 Feb;98(1):169-75 - PubMed
  58. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008 Jun;62(6):552-4 - PubMed
  59. Neurourol Urodyn. 2007;26(2):154-7 - PubMed
  60. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2007 Feb;63(2):103-11 - PubMed
  61. J Clin Epidemiol. 2006 Jul;59(7):755-8 - PubMed
  62. Harefuah. 2004 Apr;143(4):266-9, 319 - PubMed
  63. BMJ. 2005 Jul 2;331(7507):19 - PubMed
  64. Eur J Gen Pract. 2010 Jun;16(2):100-5 - PubMed
  65. PLoS Med. 2013 Dec;10(12):e1001566; discussion e1001566 - PubMed
  66. Ann Oncol. 1992 Mar;3(3):187-91 - PubMed
  67. Stroke. 2006 Oct;37(10):2588-92 - PubMed
  68. Lancet. 1991 Apr 13;337(8746):867-72 - PubMed
  69. J Rheumatol. 2003 Mar;30(3):597-602 - PubMed
  70. Asia Pac J Public Health. 2011 Sep;23(5):801-9 - PubMed
  71. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2012 Nov;42(5):885-9 - PubMed
  72. Prev Vet Med. 2010 Jun 1;95(1-2):1-9 - PubMed
  73. BMJ. 2013 Oct 22;347:f6170 - PubMed
  74. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2011 Sep 1;68(17):1640-5 - PubMed
  75. Cancer. 2005 Oct 1;104(7):1497-504 - PubMed
  76. Health Technol Assess. 2010 Feb;14(8):iii, ix-xi, 1-193 - PubMed
  77. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012 Sep 5;94(17):e130 - PubMed
  78. BMJ Open. 2013 May 02;3(5): - PubMed

MeSH terms

Publication Types