The researcher's credo

doi:10.1136/bmj.39520.521146.3A

BMJ 2008;336:629 (22 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39520.521146.3A

Letters

Moving beyond depression

The researcher’s credo

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Lenzer and Brownlee hit the nail on the head regarding the importantissue of data access.¹ We owe all human subjects who volunteerfor behavioural and medical research more than they have beengetting. For years, the top scientific journals have requiredthat all clinical trials be publicly registered before datacollection begins, in order to be eligible for publication.This was an important step designed to reduce publication bias,but it did not go far enough. The recent FDA Amendments Actmandating public access to data summaries is another step inthe right direction, but, as Lenzer and Brownlee say, this toomay not go far enough. Several examples from the psychopharmacologyliterature have shown that nothing short of total public accessto raw human subject data on efficacy and safety will be enoughto ensure that data are independently and thoroughly evaluated.²³ Issues of distorted or selective publication . . . [Full text of this article]

David O Antonuccio, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, David Healy, professor

¹ University of Nevada School of Medicine, 401 W 2nd St, Suite 216, Reno, NV 89503, USA, ² North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff LL57 2PW

oliver2@aol.com