Beyond publication bias

In drug development, clinical medicine, or health policy making, basing one’s decisions on a selective part of the available evidence can pose a major threat to the health of patients and the society. If, for example, primarily positive research reports are taken into account, one could wrongfully conclude that a harmful drug is safe. The systematic error introduced by summarizing evidence that is not representative of the available evidence is commonly referred to as “publication bias.” Some, however, prefer other terms to refer to the same concept. In this article, we explore the terminology and concepts relevant to this bias and propose a more systematic nomenclature than what is currently used.