‘Meer onderzoek is nodig’ is een nietszeggende conclusie

This sentence often concludes medical research articles. We argue that 'more research is needed' is an empty phrase. There is always room for synthesis of previously existing and currently added knowledge, allowing for a conclusion on what we now know. Surely, current knowledge is rarely definitive. Sometimes it is, however, in which case valuable resources are better spent elsewhere, rather than in more research on the topic of interest.