Which statement about bias is true?

Which statement about bias is true?

• A. Bias cannot be minimized.
• B. Bias refers to unknown or unacknowledged errors in study design, analysis, or protocols.
• C. Bias only occurs in randomized trials.
• D. Bias is the result of data entry mistakes.

Answer: (B)

Bias is a systematic error that distorts study results, not just random variation. It can arise from how a study is designed, conducted, measured, or analyzed, and it may be unknown or not openly acknowledged. This makes the statement that bias refers to unknown or unacknowledged errors in study design, analysis, or protocols the most accurate. Bias can affect any type of study, not only randomized trials, and it’s not simply about data entry mistakes—that would be a data quality issue rather than the broader systematic distortion bias describes. Because bias reflects consistent distortion of findings, researchers aim to minimize it through careful design, randomization, blinding, standardized protocols, preregistration, and transparent analysis.

Bias is a systematic error that distorts study results, not just random variation. It can arise from how a study is designed, conducted, measured, or analyzed, and it may be unknown or not openly acknowledged. This makes the statement that bias refers to unknown or unacknowledged errors in study design, analysis, or protocols the most accurate. Bias can affect any type of study, not only randomized trials, and it’s not simply about data entry mistakes—that would be a data quality issue rather than the broader systematic distortion bias describes. Because bias reflects consistent distortion of findings, researchers aim to minimize it through careful design, randomization, blinding, standardized protocols, preregistration, and transparent analysis.