Book contents
- Bias!
- Bias!
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Synopsis
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter 1All at Sea
- Chapter 2Are Scientists Inherently Biased?
- Chapter 3Biased Research in Recent Times – Even among Some of the Brightest
- Chapter 4Bias in the Research Question Asked
- Chapter 5Research Participation Bias
- Chapter 6Bias in Study Subjects
- Chapter 7Compared to What?
- Chapter 8Bias in the Study Conduct
- Chapter 9Bias in the Conduct of Animal Studies
- Chapter 10Bias in Statistical Analysis
- Chapter 11Bias in Study Interpretation
- Chapter 12Bias in the Dissemination of Study Results
- Chapter 13Bias in Pooling Data from Multiple Studies
- Chapter 14Bias in Randomized Controlled Trials
- Chapter 15Bias in Genetic Studies
- Chapter 16Bias in Pandemic Studies
- Chapter 17Bias in Pharmaco-epidemiology Studies
- Chapter 18Recognizing and Mitigating Bias
- 19Afterword
- Notes and Sources
- Index
Chapter 1 - All at Sea
What is Systemic Error (Bias)?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 April 2026
Book contents
- Bias!
- Bias!
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Synopsis
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter 1All at Sea
- Chapter 2Are Scientists Inherently Biased?
- Chapter 3Biased Research in Recent Times – Even among Some of the Brightest
- Chapter 4Bias in the Research Question Asked
- Chapter 5Research Participation Bias
- Chapter 6Bias in Study Subjects
- Chapter 7Compared to What?
- Chapter 8Bias in the Study Conduct
- Chapter 9Bias in the Conduct of Animal Studies
- Chapter 10Bias in Statistical Analysis
- Chapter 11Bias in Study Interpretation
- Chapter 12Bias in the Dissemination of Study Results
- Chapter 13Bias in Pooling Data from Multiple Studies
- Chapter 14Bias in Randomized Controlled Trials
- Chapter 15Bias in Genetic Studies
- Chapter 16Bias in Pandemic Studies
- Chapter 17Bias in Pharmaco-epidemiology Studies
- Chapter 18Recognizing and Mitigating Bias
- 19Afterword
- Notes and Sources
- Index
Summary
Here we sail into an analysis of what is random error (chance) and what is systemic error (bias), the focus of this present work. Bias produces research whose results are the most destructive; the result appears to be precise (chance does not exert a large effect), but it is wrong. Early descriptions of bias list 35 types but later catalogues describe well over 200. Documenting an association between risk factor and disease is the sine qua non in a causal analysis, and this is where bias most fully operates.
Information
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- Bias!How Systemic Error Threatens Biomedical Research, pp. 6 - 13Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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