Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Paper journals welcome Cochrane reviews (CR). The danger is that review may be framed by other publications.
Objective: To estimate how content of the journals is used to support the paid advertisements.
Method: Case-control study. The convenience sample of two international and two Russian peer reviewed journals was searched for paid advertisements except job ads. The content of the issue with ad placement was searched for publications related to the advertised product. Control was the next or later issue without this ad.
Results: In NEJM (37 issues, 2004) 81 placements of 15 designs from 11 advertisers were evaluated. Total 12/81 placements were accompanied by closely related publications (ACRP, 8/75 in control). For ad placement to be supported by publications OR=1.46 (95% CI 0.56 to 3.79). In Amer J Hypert (33 issues, 2002-2004) 94 placements of 20 designs from 9 advertisers were evaluated. Total 7/94 placements were ACRP (2/66 in control), OR=2.57 (0.52 to 12.81). In Terapevticheskii Arkhiv (10 issues, 2004) 93 placements of 68 designs from 32 advertisers were evaluated. Total 38/93 placements were ACRP (1/83 in control) , OR=56.66 (7.55 to 424.86). In Khirurgiia (25 issues, 2003-2005) 83 placements of 18 designs from 10 advertisers were evaluated. Total 3/83 placements were ACRP (0/70 in control), OR=2.7 (0.27 to 26.54).
Conclusions: Because this study was not blinded, no parallel independent evaluations were done, the OR below 2 may be ignored. The very high OR in one journal and explicit placement of ads face to face or overleaf to related 'research' articles support the hypothesis that journal content is used to empower the advertisements. There is a risk of publication of CR in paper journals: to get CR framed by other materials including advertisements. On the web pages 'saucing' with ads is simplified technically and going to be the rule of presentation of any commercial materials. The CL continues to be a unique publication where the meaning of the CR is close to its content.
Objective: To estimate how content of the journals is used to support the paid advertisements.
Method: Case-control study. The convenience sample of two international and two Russian peer reviewed journals was searched for paid advertisements except job ads. The content of the issue with ad placement was searched for publications related to the advertised product. Control was the next or later issue without this ad.
Results: In NEJM (37 issues, 2004) 81 placements of 15 designs from 11 advertisers were evaluated. Total 12/81 placements were accompanied by closely related publications (ACRP, 8/75 in control). For ad placement to be supported by publications OR=1.46 (95% CI 0.56 to 3.79). In Amer J Hypert (33 issues, 2002-2004) 94 placements of 20 designs from 9 advertisers were evaluated. Total 7/94 placements were ACRP (2/66 in control), OR=2.57 (0.52 to 12.81). In Terapevticheskii Arkhiv (10 issues, 2004) 93 placements of 68 designs from 32 advertisers were evaluated. Total 38/93 placements were ACRP (1/83 in control) , OR=56.66 (7.55 to 424.86). In Khirurgiia (25 issues, 2003-2005) 83 placements of 18 designs from 10 advertisers were evaluated. Total 3/83 placements were ACRP (0/70 in control), OR=2.7 (0.27 to 26.54).
Conclusions: Because this study was not blinded, no parallel independent evaluations were done, the OR below 2 may be ignored. The very high OR in one journal and explicit placement of ads face to face or overleaf to related 'research' articles support the hypothesis that journal content is used to empower the advertisements. There is a risk of publication of CR in paper journals: to get CR framed by other materials including advertisements. On the web pages 'saucing' with ads is simplified technically and going to be the rule of presentation of any commercial materials. The CL continues to be a unique publication where the meaning of the CR is close to its content.
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