Overcoming Challenges to Ensure the Truthfulness of Primary Research
At the Global Evidence Summit in Prague, Professor Isabelle Boutron, director of Cochrane France, delivered a persuasive presentation titled “Overcoming Challenges to Ensure the Truthfulness of Primary Research.” Her talk underscored the critical importance of trustworthy primary research in informing evidence synthesis and guiding public health decisions.
Professor Boutron highlighted the limitations of the traditional peer-review process, emphasizing the need for more robust mechanisms to ensure the reliability of scientific findings. She argued that relying on this often time-consuming process alone falls short in guaranteeing the accuracy and trustworthiness of scientific studies. She underscored the necessity of routinely updating systematic reviews, particularly given the possibility of studies being retracted after inclusion in evidence syntheses. Without these updates, invalid or outdated findings remain embedded in the evidence base, potentially undermining decision-making. To mitigate this risk, Professor Boutron advocated for systematic review protocols that include regular reassessment and revision, enabling the removal of retracted studies and the incorporation of new, high-quality research to ensure that the evidence guiding policy and practice remains robust and current.
Furthermore, Professor Boutron addressed emerging challenges, such as the rise of preprints and the use of generative AI, which can introduce biases and inaccuracies into research. To mitigate these issues, she proposed several solutions, including the development of automated tools to identify untrustworthy research, a rethinking of the peer-review process, and an increased role for evidence synthesis in evaluating the quality and credibility of scientific studies.
https://www.globalevidencesummit.org/
https://www.globalevidencesummit.org/plenary-session-schedule/
By Lina Ghosn
