Quality of reviews in epidemiology.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the quality of recent reviews in epidemiology.


METHODS
All 1995 issues of 7 widely read epidemiology journals were searched to identify reviews.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine reviews were identified. Methodology was not specified or incomplete for literature searches in 79% of reviews; the same was true for inclusion criteria in 83% and for combining studies in 62%. More than 60% of the reviews were not methodologically systematic.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a need to improve the quality of review papers in epidemiology. If systematic methodology were followed more frequently, epidemiologic science and its application could be improved.
Breslow
R A
RA
Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md. 20892-7344, USA.
Ross
S A
SA
Weed
D L
DL
D004813:Epidemiology; D012196:Review Literature as Topic