PLoS announces open access journal for all clinical trials, positive o...( San Francisco USA October 18 2005 - ...),Health

The journal differs from other medical journals in one crucial respect. It will publish all trials that are ethically and scientifically sound and entered into an internationally accepted registry, regardless of the trial's size or whether the results are positive or negative. PLoS Clinical Trials is now accepting manuscripts in advance of its spring 2006 launch.

Around half of all completed trial reports are thought to go unpublished. These unpublished trial reports differ systematically from those that are published in the direction and strength of the findings, thus distorting the evidence base for decision-making in healthcare.

"Unpublished results undermine the trust between patients and investigators and slow the vast potential of medical progress," says Dr Christian Gluud of Copenhagen University Hospital, a member of the Advisory Board of PLoS Clinical Trials.

Traditional medical journals publish only the highest profile clinical trials (typically positive trials), partly because the journals must attract revenues from subscriptions and selling reprints. PLoS Clinical Trials avoids this problem--it doesn't have to sell subscriptions or reprints to be viable, so it can publish the broadest range of trials.

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Contact: Paul Ocampo
press@plos.org
415-624-1224
Public Library of Science
17-Oct-2005