Unclear: scored when information is insufficient to permit a decision.
After the consensus meeting, we decided to score all unclear scores as negative.
They may have unclear scoring criteria and wide variations in structure, content and focus.
Unclear: scored when no or insufficient information is provided on the different reference standards used.
Unclear: scored when no or insufficient information is provided to permit a judgement.
Studies scoring 4 or 5, or with unclear scores (for example if the cancer sites included were not specified in the abstract) were retrieved for scrutiny (n = 80).
Unclear: scored when no or insufficient information is provided to ascertain whether the whole sample or a random selection of the sample received verification with a reference standard.
No: for example, if only ill children are sampled for the reference standard, or if stool samples with blood are thrown away to avoid contaminating technicians Unclear: scored when information on the reference standard used or sample preparation technique used was insufficient.
Studies that answered "no" or "unclear" were scored 0 for each scoring system with the exception of system 2 in which studies that scored "unclear" were given 1.
* Information unclear A score of 1 was given for each parameter fulfilled in the text with an additional point for adequate description of randomisation, allocation concealment and blinding.
