Book contents
- Bias!
- Bias!
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Synopsis
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 All at Sea
- Chapter 2 Are Scientists Inherently Biased?
- Chapter 3 Biased Research in Recent Times – Even among Some of the Brightest
- Chapter 4 Bias in the Research Question Asked
- Chapter 5 Research Participation Bias
- Chapter 6 Bias in Study Subjects
- Chapter 7 Compared to What?
- Chapter 8 Bias in the Study Conduct
- Chapter 9 Bias in the Conduct of Animal Studies
- Chapter 10 Bias in Statistical Analysis
- Chapter 11 Bias in Study Interpretation
- Chapter 12 Bias in the Dissemination of Study Results
- Chapter 13 Bias in Pooling Data from Multiple Studies
- Chapter 14 Bias in Randomized Controlled Trials
- Chapter 15 Bias in Genetic Studies
- Chapter 16 Bias in Pandemic Studies
- Chapter 17 Bias in Pharmaco-epidemiology Studies
- Chapter 18 Recognizing and Mitigating Bias
- 19 Afterword
- Notes and Sources
- Index
Chapter 7 - Compared to What?
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 April 2026
Book contents
- Bias!
- Bias!
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Synopsis
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 All at Sea
- Chapter 2 Are Scientists Inherently Biased?
- Chapter 3 Biased Research in Recent Times – Even among Some of the Brightest
- Chapter 4 Bias in the Research Question Asked
- Chapter 5 Research Participation Bias
- Chapter 6 Bias in Study Subjects
- Chapter 7 Compared to What?
- Chapter 8 Bias in the Study Conduct
- Chapter 9 Bias in the Conduct of Animal Studies
- Chapter 10 Bias in Statistical Analysis
- Chapter 11 Bias in Study Interpretation
- Chapter 12 Bias in the Dissemination of Study Results
- Chapter 13 Bias in Pooling Data from Multiple Studies
- Chapter 14 Bias in Randomized Controlled Trials
- Chapter 15 Bias in Genetic Studies
- Chapter 16 Bias in Pandemic Studies
- Chapter 17 Bias in Pharmaco-epidemiology Studies
- Chapter 18 Recognizing and Mitigating Bias
- 19 Afterword
- Notes and Sources
- Index
Summary
Control and comparison groups are essential for most biomedical research, but who is employed fundamentally influences risk estimation. Historical and hospital control groups are especially susceptible to bias. Natural experiments can prove useful if conducted carefully. Pharmaco-epidemiology has to manage the, not quite, intractable problem of indication bias: Are treatment effects a result of the drug or the disease being treated? Some control groups may be appropriate for detecting and ameliorating bias: respectively, negative and sibling controls.
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- Bias!How Systemic Error Threatens Biomedical Research, pp. 60 - 67Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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