Spin in dental publications: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Dental Research
• Scientific Publication Integrity
• Biomedical Literature Analysis

Background:

• Spin, the selective reporting of positive results, is a concern in scientific literature.
• The prevalence and types of spin in dental publications require systematic evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the practice of spin in scientific publications within the dental field.
• To identify common types and prevalence of spin in dental research.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, Scopus, LILACS, ClinicalTrials.gov, OpenGrey) in June 2023.
• Systematic review methodology was employed, with data extracted independently by two reviewers.
• Thirteen studies meeting eligibility criteria were included after screening 4888 records.

Main Results:

• All thirteen included studies detected the presence of spin in primary dental research.
• The prevalence of spin ranged from 30% to 86% across the analyzed studies.
• Common spin tactics included omitting adverse effects, incomplete reporting in meta-analyses, and misrepresenting non-significant findings in randomized controlled trials.

Conclusions:

• Spin is a widespread practice in dental scientific literature, occurring across various specialties, journals, and countries.
• The impact of spin on the interpretation and application of dental research findings remains under-investigated.