Thread by @CoyneoftheRealm

1/ A null field like #homeopathy can exhibit large effect sizes, high rates of favorable results, and high citation impact in the published scientific literature. Null fields may represent a useful negative control for the scientific process. @EdzardErnst @gorskon

2/ We aimed to characterize a null field using a known example, homeopathy (a pseudoscientific medical approach based on using highly diluted substances), as a prototype..

3/ The mean effect size for homeopathy was 0.36 standard deviations (Hedges’ g; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.51) better than placebo, which corresponds to an odds ratio of 1.94 (95% CI: 1.69, 2.23) in favor of homeopathy. 80% of studies had positive effect sizes (favoring homeopathy).

4/ John P.A. Ioannidis et al Homeopathy can offer empirical insights on treatment effects in a null field. scholar.google.nl/scholar_url?ur…

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