Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35876093›Full record

ArticlePsychology & health2022

Pragmatic evaluation of methods for retrieving unpublished information on comparator interventions in a systematic review of smoking cessation trials.

Neža Javornik, Daniel J H Powell, Maarten C Eisma, Marie Johnston, Marion K Campbell, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Susan Michie, Robert West, Nicola Black, Marijn de Bruin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychology & health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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. Open science? Responsiveness to requests for data in a review of smoking cessation interventions.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Neža JavornikHealth Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Daniel J H PowellHealth Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Maarten C EismaDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-6109-2274
Marie JohnstonHealth Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Marion K CampbellHealth Services Research Unit, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Jamie Hartmann-BoyceNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-9898-3049
Susan MichieCentre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-0063-6378
Robert WestDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-6398-0921
Nicola BlackHealth Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
Marijn de BruinHealth Psychology Group, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3100-6803

Funding

Cancer Research UK 18446
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveReporting of the content and delivery characteristics of comparator interventions in published articles is often incomplete. This study examines the feasibility and validity of two methods for collecting additional information on comparator interventions from trial authors. METHODS & MEASURES: In a systematic review of smoking cessation trials (IC-Smoke), all trial authors were asked to send unpublished comparator intervention materials and complete a specially-developed comparator intervention checklist. All published and additionally obtained information from authors were coded for behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and other characteristics (type of comparator, provider, provider training, delivery mode and treatment duration). To assess representativeness, we assessed the amount of additional information obtained from trial authors compared with the amount that was published. We examined known-group and convergent validity of comparator intervention data when using only published or also unpublished information.

resultsAdditional information were obtained from 91/136 (67%) of trial authors. Representativeness, known-group and convergent validity improved substantially based on the data collected by means of the comparator intervention checklist, but not by requesting authors to send any existing comparator materials.

conclusionsRequesting authors for unpublished comparator intervention data, using specially-developed checklists and unpublished materials, substantially improves the quality of data available for systematic reviews.

Indexed as

behaviour change techniquescomparatorcontrol groupreportingsystematic reviewvalidity

Identifiers

PMID35876093
PMCPMC10911680

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.