Exploring meta-research from a medical perspective_Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Authors：

RUAN Jianhua ¹ , WU Caizhi ² , WANG Zhe ¹ , LI Xingzhi ³ , DING Fengxing ¹ , LUO Yating ¹ , YI Shaowei ¹ , LIU Yanli ¹ , REN Ziyu ^1,5 , LI Zhaoxia ^6,7 ,  WANG Lujun ⁴ ,  MA Bin ^1,8,9

1. Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
2. The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
3. Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang 453000, P. R. China;
4. Gansu Maternal and Child Health Center, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
5. Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Public Health, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
6. Gansu Second People's Hospital Scientific Research and Postgraduate Studies, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
7. School of Clinical Medicine, Northwest University for Nationalities, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
8. Research Center for Medical Device Regulatory Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;
9. Industry Center for Evidence-Based Research and Evaluation Standards in Medical Devices, Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, P. R. China;

Corresponding author：

WANG Lujun, Email: wljyx2011@163.com; MA Bin, Email: mab@lzu.edu.cn

Keywords：

Meta-research; Methodology; Quality evaluation

DOI：

10.7507/1672-2531.202407121

Video：

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Abstract Full text Figures/Tables Video References Cited by

Meta-research is the "research of research", which aims to explore the existing quality of research in the scientific field, so as to help researchers comprehensively and systematically understand the current status of research development in a certain field, and to find relevant solutions to improve the quality of research in the field, which is a kind of scientific research concept. The concept of meta-research is widely used in the field of medicine, but its definition and use are still unclear in China. Therefore, this paper explores the origin of the definition of meta-research, the scope of research areas involved, and the path of its translation and implementation from the medical perspective, to help domestic researchers understand and familiarize themselves with the theoretical basis of meta-research, and provide them with a framework of ideas for the correct conduct and implementation of meta-research, so as to promote the scientific application and development of meta-research in the domestic medical field.

Citation： RUAN Jianhua, WU Caizhi, WANG Zhe, LI Xingzhi, DING Fengxing, LUO Yating, YI Shaowei, LIU Yanli, REN Ziyu, LI Zhaoxia, WANG Lujun, MA Bin. Exploring meta-research from a medical perspective. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2025, 25(3): 344-348. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.202407121 Copy

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2.	Ioannidis JP, Fanelli D, Dunne DD, et al. Meta-research: evaluation and improvement of research methods and practices. PLoS Biol, 2015, 13(10): e1002264.
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4.	Ioannidis JP. Meta-research: the art of getting it wrong. Res Synth Methods, 2010, 1(3-4): 169-184.
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6.	Fitzmaurice C, Abate D, Abbasi N, et al. Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study. JAMA Oncol, 2019, 5(12): 1749-1768.
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8.	王浙, 吴才志, 赖鸿皓, 等. 证据合成领域下的综述类型. 医学新知, 2024, 34(2): 191-205.
9.	Ineichen BV, Held U, Salanti G, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2024, 4(1): 72.
10.	Faggion CM. The importance and need of more meta-research studies in medical ethics journals. Account Res, 2021, 28(2): 125-131.
11.	Dickersin K, Chalmers I. Recognizing, investigating and dealing with incomplete and biased reporting of clinical research: from Francis Bacon to the WHO. J R Soc Med, 2011, 104(12): 532-538.
12.	Harpe SE. Meta-research in pharmacy: time for a look in the mirror. Res Social Adm Pharm, 2021, 17(12): 2028-2035.
13.	McGee RG, Dawson AC. Fake news and fake research: why meta-research matters more than ever. J Paediatr Child Health, 2020, 56(12): 1868-1871.
14.	Hardwicke TE, Serghiou S, Janiaud P, et al. Calibrating the scientific ecosystem through meta-research. Annu Rev Stat Appl, 2020, 7(1): 11-37.
15.	Sarkis-Onofre R, Sofi-Mahmudi A, Puljak L, et al. The importance of meta-research in dentistry. Evid Based Dent, 2023, 24(3): 98-99.
16.	Stevens ER, Laynor G. Recognizing the value of meta-research and making it easier to find. J Med Libr Assoc, 2023, 111(4): 839-843.
17.	Roberts RG. The first six years of meta-research at PLOS Biology. PLoS Biol, 2022, 20(1): e3001553.
18.	Carr K, Kendal RL, Flynn EG. Eureka!: what is innovation, how does it develop, and who does it. Child Dev, 2016, 87(5): 1505-1519.
19.	Andreasen J, Nørgaard B, Draborg E, et al. Justification of research using systematic reviews continues to be inconsistent in clinical health science-a systematic review and meta-analysis of meta-research studies. PLoS One, 2022, 17(10): e0276955.
20.	Lund H, Brunnhuber K, Juhl C, et al. Towards evidence based research. BMJ, 2016, 355: i5440.
21.	Faggion CM, Listl S, Smits KPJ. Meta-research publications in dentistry: a review. Eur J Oral Sci, 2021, 129(1): e12748.
22.	Laynor G, Stevens ER. Identifying meta-research with researchers as study subjects: protocol for a scoping review. PLoS One, 2024, 19(5): e0303905.

1. Chiu K, Grundy Q, Bero L. 'Spin' in published biomedical literature: a methodological systematic review. PLoS Biol, 2017, 15(9): e2002173.
2. Ioannidis JP, Fanelli D, Dunne DD, et al. Meta-research: evaluation and improvement of research methods and practices. PLoS Biol, 2015, 13(10): e1002264.
3. Ioannidis JP. Meta-research: why research on research matters. PLoS Biol, 2018, 16(3): e2005468.
4. Ioannidis JP. Meta-research: the art of getting it wrong. Res Synth Methods, 2010, 1(3-4): 169-184.
5. Begley CG, Ioannidis JP. Reproducibility in science: improving the standard for basic and preclinical research. Circ Res, 2015, 116(1): 116-126.
6. Fitzmaurice C, Abate D, Abbasi N, et al. Global, regional, and national cancer incidence, mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years for 29 cancer groups, 1990 to 2017: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study. JAMA Oncol, 2019, 5(12): 1749-1768.
7. Macleod MR, Michie S, Roberts I, et al. Biomedical research: increasing value, reducing waste. Lancet, 2014, 383(9912): 101-104.
8. 王浙, 吴才志, 赖鸿皓, 等. 证据合成领域下的综述类型. 医学新知, 2024, 34(2): 191-205.
9. Ineichen BV, Held U, Salanti G, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical studies. Nature Reviews Methods Primers, 2024, 4(1): 72.
10. Faggion CM. The importance and need of more meta-research studies in medical ethics journals. Account Res, 2021, 28(2): 125-131.
11. Dickersin K, Chalmers I. Recognizing, investigating and dealing with incomplete and biased reporting of clinical research: from Francis Bacon to the WHO. J R Soc Med, 2011, 104(12): 532-538.
12. Harpe SE. Meta-research in pharmacy: time for a look in the mirror. Res Social Adm Pharm, 2021, 17(12): 2028-2035.
13. McGee RG, Dawson AC. Fake news and fake research: why meta-research matters more than ever. J Paediatr Child Health, 2020, 56(12): 1868-1871.
14. Hardwicke TE, Serghiou S, Janiaud P, et al. Calibrating the scientific ecosystem through meta-research. Annu Rev Stat Appl, 2020, 7(1): 11-37.
15. Sarkis-Onofre R, Sofi-Mahmudi A, Puljak L, et al. The importance of meta-research in dentistry. Evid Based Dent, 2023, 24(3): 98-99.
16. Stevens ER, Laynor G. Recognizing the value of meta-research and making it easier to find. J Med Libr Assoc, 2023, 111(4): 839-843.
17. Roberts RG. The first six years of meta-research at PLOS Biology. PLoS Biol, 2022, 20(1): e3001553.
18. Carr K, Kendal RL, Flynn EG. Eureka!: what is innovation, how does it develop, and who does it. Child Dev, 2016, 87(5): 1505-1519.
19. Andreasen J, Nørgaard B, Draborg E, et al. Justification of research using systematic reviews continues to be inconsistent in clinical health science-a systematic review and meta-analysis of meta-research studies. PLoS One, 2022, 17(10): e0276955.
20. Lund H, Brunnhuber K, Juhl C, et al. Towards evidence based research. BMJ, 2016, 355: i5440.
21. Faggion CM, Listl S, Smits KPJ. Meta-research publications in dentistry: a review. Eur J Oral Sci, 2021, 129(1): e12748.
22. Laynor G, Stevens ER. Identifying meta-research with researchers as study subjects: protocol for a scoping review. PLoS One, 2024, 19(5): e0303905.

Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine

Exploring meta-research from a medical perspective

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