An observational artifact is a pattern or association that appears in data but is not truly reflective of a biological or causal relationship — rather, it results from biases, confounders, or methodological limitations inherent in observational studies.
Observational artifact refers to an illusory finding or misleading pattern that emerges in non-randomized data due to:
A retrospective study finds that patients receiving 30 Gy in 3 fractions had lower local failure rates.
However, the treatment choice was not randomized — it may reflect physician preference, patient performance status, or tumor burden.
➤ The “effect” may be an observational artifact, not a true causal relationship.
* Observational artifacts can be mistaken for real effects * They often influence clinical guidelines prematurely * Without proper statistical control, they bias interpretation
Observational artifacts often masquerade as breakthroughs. Critical appraisal requires recognizing their methodological origin — not mistaking them for clinical truth.