Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34264931›Full record

ArticlePLoS biology2021

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Marcus Munafò

Abstract readComment
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

1 author.

Marcus MunafòMRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-4049-993X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the factors that influence research quality and into research culture more generally. Reform must be evidence based, but experimental studies in real-world settings can be challenging. Observational evidence, even if imperfect, can be a valuable and efficient starting point to help identify the most fruitful avenues for meta-research investment.

Identifiers

PMID34264931
PMCPMC8282034

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.