Factors associated with publication of randomized phase iii cancer trials in journals with a high impact factor |
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Authors: | PA Tang GR Pond S Welch EX Chen |
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Institution: | *Department of Medical Oncology, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Calgary, AB.;†Department of Oncology, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, Hamilton, ON.;‡Department of Medical Oncology, London Regional Cancer Program, London, ON.;§Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Hospital, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON. |
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Abstract: | BackgroundImpact factor (if) is often used as a measure of journal quality. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether trials with positive outcomes are more likely to be published in journals with higher ifs.MethodsWe reviewed 476 randomized phase iii cancer trials published in 13 journals between 1995 and 2005. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate predictors of publication in journals with high ifs (compared with low and medium ifs).ResultsA positive outcome had the strongest association with publication in high-if journals odds ratio (or): 4.13; 95% confidence interval (ci): 2.67 to 6.37; p < 0.001]. Other associated factors were a larger sample size (or: 1.06; 95% ci: 1.02 to 1.10; p = 0.001), intention-to-treat analysis (or: 2.53; 95% ci: 1.56 to 4.10; p < 0.001), North American authors (or for European authors: 0.36; 95% ci: 0.23 to 0.58; or for international authors: 0.41; 95% ci: 0.20 to 0.82; p < 0.001), adjuvant therapy trial (or: 2.58; 95% ci: 1.61 to 4.15; p < 0.001), shorter time to publication (or: 0.84; 95% ci: 0.77 to 0.92; p < 0.001), uncommon tumour type (or: 1.39; 95% ci: 0.90 to 2.13; p = 0.012), and hematologic malignancy (or: 3.15; 95% ci: 1.41 to 7.03; p = 0.012).ConclusionsCancer trials with positive outcomes are more likely to be published in journals with high ifs. Readers of medical literature should be aware of this “impact factor bias,” and investigators should be encouraged to submit reports of trials of high methodologic quality to journals with high ifs regardless of study outcomes. |
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Keywords: | Impact factor cancer trials publication predictive factors |
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