Richard Smith, former BMJ editor: 'Medical research - still a scandal' blog post (4 years old)

Edit: Argh, it's four years old!

Interesting, and one can make comments, @dave30th!

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2014/01/31/richard-smith-medical-research-still-a-scandal/

 

And @Jonathan Edwards!

 

Well flagged @Sasha.

So I posted this:
For me there is a deep irony here. I was recently pointed to the Chalmers and Glasziou article. What was so strange was that I had shortly before been asked to give an opinion on a manuscript involving one of these authors that appeared to show a total lack of appreciation of some of the very flaws the authors were advising everyone about (bias from unblinded studies with subjective outcomes in particular). I cannot say more for reasons of confidentiality but it made me realise just how deep the problem may run. The people who think they are on top of the problem appear to be themselves incapable of seeing it before their own noses. (The manuscript involved a field in which I have no personal or professional interest, but have been seen as having some knowledge of.)

I have recently been involved in discussions of some Bad Science and again I have been struck by the deafening silence of some who claim to be vigilantes of Bad Science! I think maybe we need to think about the fact that our traditional monitors of poor science have little or no accountability. And that includes the Editorial office at the Lancet!

Let's all see if it gets allowed!!!

 

Ah! I see this is 4 years old. I suspect my comment will not get posted!

 

Argh! So sorry. I linked to it from something current and didn't check the date. Sorry I made you waste your time writing a response.

 

Doug Altman has just died, alas - that must be why this resurfaced.

 

But maybe the BMJ blog software will still see my post, since it is posted?

 

Good point - though even if it's posted, I don't know if many will now read it. I can't remember where I saw that link.

 

Gossip is gossip, even in the BMJ office.

 

The weird thing is that I was sure that Chalmers and Glasziou paper was recent.

 

Maybe they've done another one.