CLINICAL NEWS
The Problem with Positive Thinking
Since 1974, the frequency of positive-sounding words has
increased almost nine-fold in the titles and abstracts of
published papers, according to a “text-mining” analysis of
abstracts in PubMed.
Over this 40-year period, the use of words like amazing,
novel, unprecedented, and innovative rose from 2% in 19741980 to 17.5% in 2014.
novel
unprecedented
amazing
innovative
Pay-for-Delay on the Way Out?
Branded drug companies reached far fewer pay-for-delay
deals with generic drug makers in 2014, reversing a steady
increase that persisted from 2005 to 2012.
2012:
40
The use of negative words (such as disappointing,
pessimistic, discouraging, and unacceptable) also increased
– to a lesser degree: 1.3% to 2.4%.
(a record high)
“The findings fit our own observations that in order to get published,
you need to emphasize what is special and unique about your study,”
the authors wrote. “If everything is ‘robust’ and ‘novel,’ then there is no
distinction between the qualities of findings.”
Source: Vinkers CH, Tijdnk JT, Otte WM. Use of positive and negative words in scientific PubMed
abstracts between 1974 and 2014: retrosp