Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39929534›Full record

ArticleBMJ global health2025

Observational research in epidemic settings: a roadmap to reform.

Emily E Ricotta, Fausto A Bustos Carrillo, Samuel Angelli-Nichols, John Barugahare, Adia Benton, Colin J Carlson, Emma Chang-Rabley, Natalie E Dean, Stephany N Duda, Lisa Federer and 12 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. 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

22 authors.

Emily E RicottaDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA emily.ricotta@usuhs.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9928-8275
Fausto A Bustos CarrilloEpidemiology and Data Management Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Samuel Angelli-NicholsDepartment of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.
John BarugahareDepartment of Philosophy, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Adia BentonDepartment of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.
Colin J CarlsonCenter for Global Health Science & Security, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6960-8434
Emma Chang-RableyEpidemiology and Data Management Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Natalie E DeanDepartment of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Stephany N DudaDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Lisa FedererOffice of Strategic Initiatives, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Mary-Margaret A FillDivision of Communicable and Environmental Diseases and Emergency Preparedness, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Elizabeth C LeRoyCDISC, Austin, Texas, USA.
Natalie M LintonCenter for Infectious Diseases, California Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California, USA.
Marc LipsitchHarvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Maya B MathurQuantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Alexandra L PhelanJohns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Annette RidDepartment of Bioethics, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Jennifer B RosenBureau of Immunization, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA.
Lauren SauerGlobal Center for Health Security, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
Sheena G SullivanWHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Mackenzie ZendtEpidemiology and Data Management Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of Intramural Research, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Nicholas EvansDepartment of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3330-0224

Funding

Stanford Center for Clinical & Translational Education and Research (Spectrum)UL1TR003142 · NCATS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI O'HARA, RUTH M · 2019 to 2023
$45.0M
Design and Analysis of Vaccine Trials for Emerging Infectious Disease ThreatsR01AI139761 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI DEAN, NATALIE EXNER · 2018 to 2022
$3.6M
Statistical Methods for Modern Evidence Syntheses with Multiple BiasesR01LM013866 · NLM · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI MATHUR, MAYA · 2021 to 2024
$1.3M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR003142NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI139761NLM NIH HHS R01 LM013866
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Observational studies are critical tools in clinical research and public health response, but challenges arise in ensuring the data produced by these studies are scientifically robust and socially valuable. Resolving these challenges requires careful attention to prioritising the most valuable research questions, ensuring robust study design, strong data management practices, expansive community engagement, and access and benefit sharing of results and research materials. This paper opens with a discussion of how well-designed observational studies contribute to biomedical evidence and provides examples from across the clinical literature of how these methods generate hypotheses for future research and uncover otherwise unattainable insights by providing examples from across the clinical literature. Then, we present obstacles that remain in ensuring observational studies are optimally designed, conducted and communicated.

Indexed as

Biomedical ResearchEpidemicsObservational Studies as TopicResearch DesignHumansPublic HealthEpidemiologyHealth policyPublic Health

Identifiers

PMID39929534
PMCPMC11815396

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.