グループでの取り決め
- The Global Advanced/Adjuvant Stomach Tumor Research through International Collaboration is a non-profit organization.
- The main goal of the Group is to perform meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials based on individual patient data obtained from the principal investigators of all relevant trials. A detailed protocol is written by members of the Group for each meta-analysis.
- The principal investigators who contribute data to a meta-analysis may become members of the Group. They may request access to the data from all other trials of that meta-analysis. Such access must be approved by the principal investigators of these trials and all publication rules described below must be followed.
- Data are sent to the Secretariat of the Group where they are kept secure. Data are not shared with anyone under any form without the written approval of the principal investigator.
- The results of a meta-analysis are shared with the principal investigators who contributed to it, and discussed in a meeting organized by the Group Secretariat prior to presentation at scientific meetings or in publications. This meeting is restricted to the contributors to that meta-analysis. The results of that meta-analysis are not shared with anyone else until they have been approved by the principal investigators.
- After a meta-analysis has been reviewed and discussed by all principal investigators, a Writing Committee is formed. The Writing Committee ordinarily consists of the clinicians in charge of the meta-analysis, the statisticians responsible for the analyses, and the principal investigators who wish to contribute to the manuscript. Separate writing committee will be formed for each sub-protocols.
- Publication of the results of a meta-analysis is in the name of the Group. The names of all individuals in the Writing Committee are mentioned in footnote. The contribution of other investigators is acknowledged in an appendix (see: J Clin Oncol 1991;9:1668-74, 1992;10:896-903, 1994;12:960-9).
- All other manuscripts which are based on data collected for a meta-analysis must be circulated to the principal investigators of all relevant trials for their approval.
- A principal investigator who has contributed data for a meta-analysis may withdraw at any time and for any reason, and demand that the data from his or her trial be deleted from the manuscript.
- The interpretation of the results of a meta-analysis is often complex and controversial. Should an investigator disagree with the interpretation of the Writing Committee, his or her opinion shall be mentioned as a minority opinion in the manuscript.