Background:
Therapeutic treatments are often based on the results of research studies. When studies are not conducted properly, the conclusions drawn may result in patients receiving ineffective or harmful treatments. Cochrane has recently published specific guidance for Cochrane Review authors about checking the scientific integrity of studies before including them in a review, and what to do if misconduct is suspected.

Objectives:
Participants in this workshop will be able to identify the following:

1) Red flags to look for when assessing a study for inclusion in a systematic review;
2) Methods that can be used to indicate possible problems with a study.
3) Appropriate communication - when and how to approach authors/journal editors/institutions.
4) How to reference the study appropriately in the systematic review.
5) Resources available.

Description:
Often when assessing studies for inclusion in a systematic review, suspicions are raised about the proper conduct of the study. In this discussion workshop we will consider the steps that should be taken when assessing a study for inclusion in a systematic review, and discuss the methods that can be used to identify dubious studies. We will debate when and how to communicate any suspicions to authors and others, when appropriate to do so. We will also consider how to reference/include the study appropriately in the systematic review, including what to do when investigations are ongoing. Finally, we will highlight the internal and external resources available to authors and editorial teams dealing with possible fraud or misconduct.

Participants' experiences will be welcomed. This discussion workshop will be of interest to systematic review authors and editorial teams with varied levels of experience of dealing with scientific fraud and misconduct.