ArticleBMJ open2019
Selective citation in the literature on the hygiene hypothesis: a citation analysis on the association between infections and rhinitis.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Overcoming citation bias is necessary for true inclusivity in Plant Science.The Plant cell · 2023Article
- A 21st century view of infection control in everyday settings: Moving from the Germ Theory of Disease to the Microbial Theory of Health.American journal of infection control · 2020Review
- Determinants of citation in the literature on diesel exhaust exposure and lung cancer: a citation analysis.BMJ open · 2020Article
- Scientific Hypotheses: Writing, Promoting, and Predicting Implications.Journal of Korean medical science · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveOur objective was to assess the occurrence and determinants of selective citation in scientific publications on Strachan's original hygiene hypothesis. His hypothesis states that lack of exposure to infections in early childhood increases the risk of rhinitis.
settingWeb of Science Core Collection.
participantsWe identified 110 publications in this network, consisting of 5551 potential citations. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Whether a citation occurs or not, measured and analysed according to the preregistered protocol.
resultsWe found evidence for citation bias in this field: publications supportive of the hypothesis were cited more often than non-supportive publications (OR adjusted for study design [adjOR] 2.2, 95% CI 1.6 to 3.1), and the same was the case for publications with mixed findings (adjOR 3.1, 95% CI 2.2 to 4.5). Other relevant determinants for citation were type of exposure, specificity, journal impact factor, authority and self-citation. Surprisingly, prospective cohort studies were cited less often than other empirical studies.
conclusionsThere is clear evidence for selective citation in this research field, and particularly for citation bias.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.