Publication bias in reproductive research

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Clinical Research
• Publication Ethics

Background:

• Publication bias can distort treatment effect estimations and impact patient management.
• Understanding publication patterns is crucial for assessing the reliability of research findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the full publication rate of randomized controlled trials (RCT) abstracts presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual meetings.
• To analyze the time to full publication for these abstracts.
• To identify factors influencing the publication of RCT abstracts in reproductive research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search identified 151 RCT abstracts from six ESHRE annual meetings.
• Full-text publications were traced through electronic databases and journal handsearching.
• Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate publication rates and time to publication.

Main Results:

• Only 56% of RCT abstracts were eventually published in full.
• The median time to publication was 32.5 months.
• Oral presentations (69%) were significantly more likely to be fully published than posters (42%).
• Publication rates were not affected by outcome significance, sample size, subject category, or country of origin's language.

Conclusions:

• A substantial publication deficit exists for RCTs in reproductive research.
• The findings suggest a lack of bias, but a considerable gap between abstract presentation and full publication.
• Strategies to improve full publication rates for research presented at scientific meetings are warranted.