Table 1.
Characteristics of primary publications reporting original evidence of ghostwriting
| Publication | Population | Survey description | Data collected | N | RR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-sectional surveys—authors or corresponding authors | |||||
| Flanagin et al27 | Six general medicine journals* | Self-administered, postal, anonymous, pretested, targeted | 1996 | 809 | 69% |
| Mowatt et al23 | Published Cochrane reviews | Self-administered, online, anonymous, pretested, targeted | 1999 | 362 | 63% |
| Hao et al32 (Abstract) | Chin Med J | Self-administered, email, not anonymous, targeted | 2008† | 220 | 86% |
| Dotson and Slaughter28 | Three pharmacy journals | Self-administered, online, anonymous, pretested, targeted | 2009 | 112 | 25% |
| Mirzazadeh et al24 | Three Iranian journals | Self-administered, email, not anonymous, targeted | 2009–2010 | NR | NR |
| Wislar et al20 | Six general medicine journals‡ | Self-administered, online, anonymous, pretested, targeted | 2008 | 622 | 70% |
| Ghajarzadeh26 | Arch Iran Med (based on student theses) | Self-administered, email, anonymous, targeted | 2005–2007 | 30 | 49% |
| Vinther and Rosenberg21 | Ugeskr Laeger and Dan Med J | Self-administered, online, anonymous, pretested, targeted | 2010 | 272 | 62% |
| Cross-sectional surveys—healthcare professionals | |||||
| Price et al22 | Health academic staff | Self-administered, postal, anonymous, pretested, targeted | NR | 166 | 59% |
| Rees et al31(Abstract) | Registered users of EPG Online | Self-administered, online, anonymous, non-targeted | NR | 295 | NR |
| Cross-sectional surveys—members of medical writing associations | |||||
| Jacobs and Hamilton25 | EMWA/AMWA members | Self-administered, online, anonymous, pretested, non-targeted | 2005 2008 |
843 773 |
28% 14% |
| Hamilton and Jacobs 201233(Abstract) | EMWA/AMWA members | Self-administered, online, anonymous, pretested, non-targeted | 2011 | 620 | 12% § |
| Publication reviews and descriptive analysis | |||||
| Healy and Cattell6 | Articles on sertraline | NA | 1998–2000 | 96 | NA |
| Gøtzsche et al30 | Articles on Danish industry-initiated trials approved 1994–1995 | NA | NR | 44 | NA |
| Ross et al8 | Reviews on rofecoxib associated with Merck support | NA | 1996–2004 | 72 | NA |
| Suda et al29 | Non-inferiority clinical trials | NA | 1989–2009 | 583 | NA |
*Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
†Submission date.
‡Annals of Internal Medicine, JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Nature Medicine, PLoS Medicine.
§Personal communication, C Hamilton.
AMWA, American Medical Writers Association; EMWA, European Medical Writers Association; NA, not applicable; NR, not reported; RR, response rate.