ArticleSystematic reviews2024
The reporting quality of meta-epidemiological studies needs substantial improvement: a research on research study.
Article in Systematic reviews, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Publication Characteristics and Reporting Quality of GBD-Derived Burden of Disease Studies: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Lung Cancer.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMeta-epidemiological research plays a vital role in providing empirical evidence needed to develop methodological manuals and tools, but the reporting quality has not been comprehensively assessed, and the influence of reporting guidelines remains unclear. The current study aims to evaluate the reporting quality of meta-epidemiological studies, assess the impact of reporting guidelines, and identify factors influencing reporting quality.
methodsWe searched PubMed and Embase for meta-epidemiological studies. The reporting quality of these studies was assessed for adherence to established reporting guidelines. Two researchers independently screened the studies and assessed the quality of the included studies. Time-series segmented linear regression was used to evaluate changes in reporting quality over time, while beta-regression analysis was performed to identify factors significantly associated with reporting quality.
resultsWe initially identified 1720 articles, of which 125 meta-epidemiological studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 65 (52%) had low reporting quality, 60 (48%) had moderate quality, and none achieved high quality. Of the 24 items derived from established reporting guidelines, 4 had poor adherence, 13 had moderate adherence, and 7 had high adherences. High journal impact factor (≥ 10) (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.80; P = 0.003) and protocol registration (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.30, 2.22; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with better reporting quality. The publication of the reporting guideline did not significantly increase the mean reporting quality score (- 0.53, 95% CI: - 3.37, 2.31; P = 0.67) or the trend (- 0.38, 95% CI: - 1.02, 0.26; P = 0.20).
conclusionsOur analysis showed suboptimal reporting quality in meta-epidemiological studies, with no improvement post-2017 guidelines. This potential shortcoming could hinder stakeholders' ability to draw reliable conclusions from these studies. While preregistration could reduce reporting bias, its adoption remains low. Registration platforms could consider creating tailored types for meta-epidemiological research, and journals need to adopt more proactive measures to enforce reporting standards.
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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.