En ny videnskabelig fejlkilde: SILLY-bias. Analyse af citationer af BMJ's juleartikler

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Ulrik A Felding
  • Karsten J Jørgensen
  • Asbjørn Hróbjartsson
We analysed the scientific impact of systematic reviews and randomised trials published in the BMJ Christmas issues 1997-2006. The articles were mostly interpreted correctly as humorous, but the humorous dimension was overlooked with surprising ease. The result from one ironic-absurd trial on the effect of retroactive remote intercessory prayer for patients already dead or dismissed was taken at face value in 12/36 of the citing articles, and mortality data was unconditionally included in three systematic reviews. Thus, we document a new type of bias in medical research: Serious Idiopathic Loss of Ludic ironY (SILLY) bias, both in citation practices and in metaanalyses.
Udgivelsesdato: 2009-Dec-14
Translated title of the contributionA new scientific source of bias: SILLY bias. Analysis of citations of BMJ's Christmas articles
Original languageDanish
JournalUgeskrift for læger
Volume171
Issue number51
Pages (from-to)3784-9
Number of pages5
ISSN0041-5782
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Great Britain; Humans; Journal Impact Factor; Periodicals as Topic; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Review Literature as Topic; Wit and Humor as Topic

ID: 19979348