Bias

How it is used

Every study is checked for bias. Common types are selection bias, information or measurement bias and recall bias. You avoid, reduce, introduce or assess bias, and a result can be biased. Bias is different from random error, which more data can reduce.

Example sentences

1. Self-reported weight introduces bias because people tend to underestimate it.

2. The reviewers judged most of the studies to be at high risk of bias.

Common collocations

• risk of bias
• selection bias
• recall bias
• introduce bias
• reduce bias

Related terms

• selection biasBias that occurs when the people included in a study, or those who stay in it, differ systematically from the population the results are meant to describe.
• confoundingA distortion that happens when a third factor is linked to both the exposure and the outcome, making their relationship look stronger, weaker or different than it really is.
• randomized controlled trialA study in which participants are assigned by chance to receive an intervention or a comparison, such as a placebo or usual care, so that the outcomes of the groups can be fairly compared.
• systematic reviewA review that uses a clear, pre-planned method to find, select and assess all the relevant studies on a specific question and then combine their findings.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• bias · Software Engineering
• bias · Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
• bias · Statistics
• bias · History
• bias · Journalism & Media

More terms: Bias, Causation and Data Analysis

• risk factor
• exposure
• relative risk
• odds ratio
• confidence interval
• association