NIH Issues Reminder on Reporting ‘Important Practices’ Used in Research
Too many papers fail to describe the research practices in a study, information such as outcome measures and the use of control groups, or define “clear measures of uncertainty” and “study limitations such as possible confounding factors,” according to an Aug. 10 NIH blog post. “If the study is exploratory, if the above practices are not reported or performed, or if other relevant reporting guidelines have not been followed, the results should be interpreted as preliminary or tentative, and any conclusions should be communicated accordingly,” wrote Devon Crawford, program director in NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s Office of Research Quality.
Addressing study design as well, Crawford said research lacking such practices is “likely to be at high risk for unconscious biases that can lead to incorrect conclusions.” When appropriate, papers should highlight “measures…taken to reduce bias” and “important experimental design and planning elements.” She noted that “communicating science accurately and responsibly is a balance between engaging the audience and providing enough important details.” Crawford added that “a study’s rigor, transparency, and robustness not only provides important information about reliability, but it also signals to the audience that context, and by extension the ongoing process, is central to science.”