Health researchers might use a reporting guideline as a straightforward, structured tool when preparing publications.
What is a Reporting Guideline?
A reporting guideline is a collection of facts that you include in a manuscript to ensure that it can be, for example:
- When a reader understands what you’re saying,
- A researcher confirmed the findings.
- A doctor will use it to make a medical decision, and
- For conducting a systematic review.
Reporting guideline is used to prepare high-quality research reports since it requires the article to meet the checklist’s requirements. You can explain to the peer reviewer the checklist used to assess the document. Following this protocol, researchers can publish their findings with or without minor revisions.
What are the different types of Reporting Guidelines?
The EQUATOR Network (Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research) is a global effort to improve the quality of research publications. It includes a complete set of reporting guidelines and other resources to aid in the improvement of reporting.
A list of all of the reporting guidelines for many different study designs is available to assist you in reporting your research.
- PRISMA – Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses – for reporting the systematic review
- CONSORT – Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials – for reporting randomized controlled trials
- STROBE – Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology – its flow diagram for reporting observational study
- MOOSE – Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology – for reporting observational epidemiological meta-analysis
- STARD – Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy studies – for reporting diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of the study
- SPIRIT – Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials – for clarifying the report
- REMARK – Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies – for Oncology and Genetic studies
- COREQ – Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research – for enhancing the quality of the report
- CARE – Consensus-based clinical case reporting – for precise reporting
- TRIPOD – Transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis – for Prognostic studies
- RIGHT – A Reporting Tool for Practice Guidelines in Health Care – for Clinical practice guidelines
- SRQR – Standards for reporting qualitative research – for Qualitative research
- ARRIVE – Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments – for Animal preclinical studies
- SQUIRE – Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence – for Quality improvement studies
Advantages of Reporting guidelines
- The quality of reporting will improve if you follow the reporting guidelines.
- Only publications that strictly follow the guidelines will be published in a high-impact journal.
- Assists the reviewer in ensuring that all pertinent information has been reported.
Conclusion
Your article must provide a clear and comprehensive overview of your findings. Complete reporting makes it easier for editors, peer reviewers, and readers to comprehend what you did and how you did it.
Poorly reported research can skew the literature, resulting in findings that can’t be repeated or utilized in future meta-analyses or systematic reviews. Editors and peer reviewers will be able to analyze your article better if you follow these standards since they will understand what you did.