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. 2004 Nov;1(2):e35.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0010035. Epub 2004 Nov 30.

Doing new research? Don't forget the old

Mike Clarke  1
Affiliations

Doing new research? Don't forget the old

Mike Clarke. PLoS Med. 2004 Nov.

Abstract

Nobody should do a new research study, says Clarke, without first systematically reviewing the literature. And journal editors should insist that all research papers are accompanied by an up-to-date systematic review

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The author's employment depends upon the value and importance given to systematic reviews. He is employed by the Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust on behalf of the Department of Health in England, as director of the UK Cochrane Centre for four days per week. This is a fixed term contract, the renewal of which is dependent upon the value placed upon his work, that of the UK Cochrane Centre (and more widely, of The Cochrane Collaboration) by the Department of Health, all of which relates to the importance of systematic reviews. He is also employed by Cancer Research UK to work one day per week at the Clinical Trial Service Unit, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, primarily on systematic reviews of treatments for early breast cancer.

Figures

None
Doctors are overloaded with information, much of it irrelevant to their practice
(Illustration: Rusty Howson, sososo design)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • From registration to publication.
    The PLoS Medicine Editors. The PLoS Medicine Editors. PLoS Med. 2004 Nov;1(2):e46. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0010046. Epub 2004 Nov 30. PLoS Med. 2004. PMID: 15578113 Free PMC article.

References

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    1. Begg C, Cho M, Eastwood S, Horton R, Moher D, et al. Improving the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials. The CONSORT statement. JAMA. 1996;276:637–639. - PubMed
    1. Clarke M, Chalmers I. Discussion sections in reports of controlled trials published in five general medical journals: Islands in search of continents? JAMA. 1998;280:280–282. - PubMed