From “data mining” to “salami publication”—how (not) to present data

Excerpt

The rules for setting up a study are relatively clear. You need a hypothesis, you need inclusion criteria, and you need clearly defined primary and secondary endpoints, which serve to put your original hypothesis to the test and—hopefully—answer a few questions relevant to clinical practice. Good study design follows accepted rules with randomized controlled trials currently considered as gold standard. At the completion of a trial, data are consolidated and evaluated according to the rules set out at the beginning of the trial. The hypothesis is accepted or rejected, and secondary endpoints are listed and provide additional information. Finally, the results are written up, and the manuscript is submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. …