An investigation of the contents of complementary and alternative medicine journals.
BACKGROUND
Previous research suggests that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) journals publish few clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses and a high proportion of positive articles.


OBJECTIVE
This study describes the content of major CAM journals in 2005 and compares key findings with secondary data from previous years.


METHODS
PubMed-indexed CAM journals publishing in 2005 were identified using the search term "(alternative OR complementary) AND medicine." Review journals were excluded. All 2005 issues of the included journals were obtained and articles read. Articles were coded according to predefined criteria regarding the type of publication, area of CAM, and whether the outcome was positive, negative, or open. For comparison purposes, secondary data from 1995 and 2000 were obtained from previous research.


RESULTS
Six journals publishing in 2005 (363 articles) were coded. Two datasets were produced, one excluding and one including recently established journals (2005a and 2005b, respectively). Proportionally fewer articles were clinical trials in 2005 (2005a=22.1%; 2005b=18.5%) than in 2000 (22.7%) and 1995 (27.7%). More than 50% of the 2005 articles were positive (2005a=51.1%; 2005b=50.7%), compared with 55.9% in 1995 and 43.5% in 2000.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an apparent shift away from effectiveness research in CAM journals. This requires further investigation, and comparisons with other journals are needed. The large proportion of positive articles published in CAM journals appears to not adequately reflect the best available effectiveness evidence. This has implications for those using CAM journals as their main source of information in this area.
Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, United Kingdom.
Helen F
HF
Coelho
Max H
MH
Pittler
Edzard
E
Ernst
D015982:Bias; D015706:Bibliometrics; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000592:standards; D018156:Journalism, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States