Understanding the process and impact of within-study selective reporting bias

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Published research will form a biased subset of all research undertaken if the decision on whether to publish, and which of several outcomes to report, is influenced by the results of the research. In the medical research field, empirical evidence suggests that studies achieving statistical significance are more likely to be submitted and accepted for publication. This bias may lead to incorrect decisions concerning effective healthcare. We intend to investigate how much of a threat such selective reporting is to decisions about patient care. We will gain an understanding of how this bias arises through interviews with medical researchers. The likely benefits of this work will be improvements in the methods for assessing how robust research results are to this source of bias and an increased awareness of the problem which may lead to its reduction.