LibGuides: Research Building Blocks: Reporting Guidelines

What are Reporting Guidelines?

If you want your research article to present your data in a way that would allow your intended audience to understand it, replicate it, and apply it, reporting guidelines will help by providing a minimum set of information that should be presented. This will increase the transparency of research and ensure that your work is not wasted.

"Reporting guidelines provide structured advice on what information needs to be included in a research article as a minimum to allow readers to assess study methods, relevance, and validity of presented findings. They focus on the scientific content of an article and thus complement journals’ instructions for authors."

- Iveta Simera (2014)

Knowledge Synthesis Reporting Guidelines

PRISMA
PRISMA is an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. PRISMA aims to help authors improve the reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Key documents include the PRISMA checklist and flow diagram. There are extensions available for different types and aspects of reviews.
PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR)
Several extensions of the PRISMA statement have been developed to facilitate the reporting of different types of aspects of systematic reviews, including one specifically for scoping reviews. The checklist contains 20 essential reporting items and 2 optional items to include when completing a scoping review.
JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis
The JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis is designed to provide authors with a comprehensive guide to conducting JBI systematic reviews. It describes in detail the process of planning, undertaking and writing up a systematic review using JBI methods.
The Campbell Collaboration
Guidelines for producing a Campbell systematic review and other types of evidence synthesis for evidence-based policy and practice. The Campbell Collaboration produces reviews on the effects of social and economic interventions.
Cochrane Handbooks
Cochrane handbooks to guide and support users through the process of conducting a Cochrane review. There is a handbook for reviews on interventions and another one for reviews of diagnostic test accuracy.

Reporting Guidelines for Multiple Study Types

EQUATOR Network
The EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network lists reporting standards for multiple different types of study design, including knowledge synthesis projects. You can search for the right guideline for your type of study.
NLM Research Reporting Guidelines and Initiatives: By Organization
Provides a chart which lists the major biomedical research reporting guidelines that provide advice for reporting research methods and findings. The chart also includes editorial style guides for writing research reports or other publications.

Additional Tip

Check the "Requirements for Reporting" section of the Instructions for Authors of your intended journal

References

BMC. Reporting Guidelines [Internet]. BMC Writing Resources. BioMed Central; [cited 2019 Feb 21].

Simera I. The EQUATOR Network: Supporting Editors in Publishing Well-Reported Health Research. Science. 2014;37(1):15.

UK EQUATOR Centre. Reporting guidelines and journals: fact & fiction [Internet]. The EQUATOR Network. [cited 2019 Feb 21].