Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
09:09
In Silico Clinical Trials for Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: May 27, 2022
Statistical reviewers improve reporting in biomedical articles: a randomized trial.
Erik Cobo1, Albert Selva-O'Callagham, Josep-Maria Ribera
1Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Technological University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain. erik.cobo@upc.edu
Plos One
|March 29, 2007
Summary
Adding a statistical reviewer significantly improves manuscript quality in scientific journals. Suggesting reporting guidelines to reviewers did not show a significant positive effect on paper quality.
Area of Science:
- Medical research methodology
- Scientific publishing
- Peer review process
Background:
- Peer review is standard for manuscript selection and quality improvement in scientific journals.
- Evidence supporting the effectiveness of traditional peer review remains limited.
- This study investigated methods to enhance manuscript quality during peer review.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of adding a statistical peer reviewer on manuscript quality.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of suggesting reporting guidelines (e.g., CONSORT, STARD) to clinical reviewers.
- To determine the combined effect of statistical review and guideline suggestions.
Main Methods:
- A 2x2 balanced factorial design was employed, randomizing manuscripts to either include a statistical reviewer, suggest reporting guidelines, both, or neither.
- Manuscripts were evaluated by two blinded evaluators using the Goodman Scale for quality assessment at submission and post-review.
- A total of 115 manuscripts were analyzed after randomization and follow-up.
Main Results:
- Adding a statistical reviewer led to a significant improvement in manuscript quality (estimated effect: 5.5, 95% CI: 4.3-6.7).
- Suggesting reporting guidelines to reviewers did not yield a statistically significant improvement in overall quality (effect: 0.9, 95% CI: -0.3-+2.1).
- Rejected manuscripts had significantly lower initial quality scores compared to accepted ones.
Conclusions:
- The addition of a statistical reviewer is an effective strategy for enhancing the quality of scientific manuscripts.
- Suggesting reporting guidelines alone did not demonstrate a significant positive impact on manuscript quality in this study.
- Findings support the integration of statistical expertise into the peer review process for improving scientific rigor.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
01:16Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
02:07Blind Procedures
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which child was...
01:11Blinding
Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
01:13Randomized Experiments
The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
Simple randomization
Simple...