Study reporting guidelines: How valid are they?

Catherine Arundel,Alison Booth,Sophie James,Matthew Northgraves

doi:10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100343

Catherine Arundel, Alison Booth + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100343

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Abstract

Reporting guidelines help improve the reporting of specific study designs, and clear guidance on the best approaches for developing guidelines is available. The methodological strength, or validation of guidelines is however unclear. This article explores what validation of reporting guidelines might involve, and whether this has been conducted for key reporting guidelines.

Highlights

Comprehensive reporting can reduce reporting bias, enable informed decision making in clinical practice, limit duplication of effort and inform subsequent research [1]
Reporting guidelines have been developed to help improve the reporting of specific study designs
Reporting guidelines, are available for a wide range of health care research methodologies [6]. Many journals request their use to increase transparent research reporting, mandated use is rare, despite evidence that reporting guidelines can have a positive impact on completeness of reporting [7,21]

Summary

Introduction

Comprehensive reporting can reduce reporting bias, enable informed decision making in clinical practice, limit duplication of effort and inform subsequent research [1]. The quality of reporting of research activity continues to be inadequate, presenting readers with difficulties in judging the reliability of research findings, or how best to interpret results for individual settings [2,3]. Reporting guidelines have been developed to help improve the reporting of specific study designs. If followed by authors this should enable users to understand the design, conduct and analysis of the research, to critically appraise and review the findings and interpret the conclusions appropriately [4]. A guideline is a checklist, diagram or explicit text which guides authors in reporting research, and should be developed using explicit methodology [2]. Mostly as checklists, and clear guidance, including a checklist of recommended steps, for developing such tools is available [2]

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Discussion

Conclusion