The role of ethical publishing in promoting the evidence-based practice of urology

An evidence-based approach to the practice of urology relies on the accumulation of a body of evidence from clinical research. Ethical publishing has a major role to play in building confidence in the compiled evidence, which can lead to the development of clinical practice guidelines and new treatment paradigms. The literature on the recent developments in ethical publishing was reviewed to highlight how this supported the promotion of the evidence-based practice of urology. The requirements for complete and transparent reporting of results, the honest and full declaration of conflicts of interest, and the correct assignment of authorship are essential to build up confidence in the evidence-based practice of urology. Increasing the quality of the reporting of trials allows the evidence base to be scrutinized and validated. Reporting the experience and expertise of authors in compiling, analysing and interpreting evidence also helps to develop this trust. A great deal of progress has been made in the recent years, but there is a lot more work to be done.