The British Medical Journal today has an early on-line publication (at http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/rapidpdf/bmj.38478.497164.F7v1 but not for long) of a study by Dubben and Beck-Bornholdt on publication bias in studies on publication bias [the tendency to report only positive findings]. You'd never know it from their title ("Systematic review of publication bias in studies on publication bias") but they didn't find any.
Still, they call for further studies, leading to the delightful possibility envisaged in my header. About which, no less an authority than Jonathan Swift said: So, naturalists observe, a flea Has smaller fleas that on him prey; And these have smaller still to bite 'em; And so proceed ad infinitum. -Jonathan Swift: Poetry, a Rhapsody [this is the original, and much classier than that parody version. How often do I get to quote Swift in a post, anyway?] Stephen -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology fax:(819) 822-9661 Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy TIPS discussion list for psychology teachers at http://faculty.frostburg.edu/psyc/southerly/tips/index.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
