For many kinds of research, widely accepted reporting guidelines can improve the quality of published work and benefit authors, peer reviewers, readers, patients, and communities. Reporting guidelines are imperfect and can be challenging to apply to some work, such as mixed methods studies or program evaluations. For most types of studies, however, they can improve the consistency, quality and rigor of reports.
The Annals encourages authors to review the list below and use appropriate guidelines to frame their work. The choice to use or not use a reporting guideline should be explained in the submission cover letter. If a reporting guideline was used, include the completed guideline checklist as a separate file.
The EQUATOR Network provides a comprehensive, up-to-date and searchable clearinghouse of reporting guidelines at www.equator-network.org/ .
| Type of Study | What reporting guidelines are available? | Checklists |
| Primary care research | The CRISP (Consensus Reporting Items for Studies in Primary Care) guidelines were created to inform the design and reporting of studies done by PC researchers, studies by other investigators in PC populations and settings, and studies intended for application in PC practice. The aim is to improve reporting of both the context of the clinical services and the process of research as critical to interpreting and applying research findings regarding diverse populations and varied settings in primary care. These guidelines are complementary to the others listed below as they they are not limited by type of research. |
CRISP (2023 checklist) Special report on these guidelines published by Annals of Family Medicine. |
| Randomized controlled studies | CONSORT SPIRIT (trial protocols) Guideline extensions are available for pragmatic trials, cluster RCTs, non-inferiority and equivalence trials, and trials of non-pharmacological interventions. Specific extensions outline the presentation of data, harms, and abstracts. |
CONSORT (2010 Checklist SPIRIT (Publications and downloads) |
| Observational studies | STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology) General checklist for all types of observational studies; specific checklists available for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. |
STROBE (2024 checklists) |
| Systematic reviews; meta-analyses | PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) General systematic reviews and meta-analyses. MOOSE (Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) Focuses on reviews of observational studies. RAMESES (Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards) ENTREQ (Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the synthesis of Qualitative research) |
PRISMA (2020 Checklist) and PRISMA Flow diagram MOOSE Checklist RAMESES Publication standards ENTREQ Statement |
| Studies of diagnostic accuracy | STARD (Standards for Reporting Diagnostic accuracy studies) | STARD Checklist and Flow diagram |
| Qualitative interviews; focus groups | COREQ (Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative research) | COREQ Checklist |
| Quality improvement | SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence) | SQUIRE 2.0 Checklist |
| Basic statistical reporting | SAMPL (Statistical Analyses and Methods in the Published Literature) | SAMPL Guidelines |
