Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research

Case studies: How journals implement reporting guidelines

Some editors have shared with us their experience of setting up policies and procedures aiming to improve transparency and accuracy of research reporting in their journal. The contributions below describe first hand personal experience and provide valuable practical information for other colleagues contemplating the same activity.

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Clinical trial reporting and the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, January 2010Journal of Investigative Dermatology logo
Professor Hywel Williams, Clinical Trials Editor of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, has shared with us their experience (PDF) of implementing the CONSORT Statement and compulsory trial registration and how the journal checks on compliance to CONSORT.

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Reporting policies and the smaller journal, January 2010
Dr Jason Roberts
, Managing Editor of Headache, summarised their experience (PDF) of changing submission and peer review processes in order to raise the quality of published articles. Headache is a smaller sub-specialty medical journal and this article might be of interest to all editors of similar types of journals. Headache: the Journal of Head and Face Pain logo
Appendices:
Appendix 1 (PDF): Behavioral/Nonpharmacological Clinical Trials Checklist for Headache
Appendix 2 (PDF): Case Reports Checklist for Headache

Related articles (freely available):
Roberts J. An Author’s Guide to Publication Ethics: A Review of Emerging Standards in Biomedical Journals. Headache 2009; 49(4):578 – 589.

Loder EW, Penzien DB. Improving the Quality of Research Reporting: Headache Steps Up to the Plate. Headache 2009; 49 (3):335 – 340.

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Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology: Introducing new policies on research reporting into guidelines for authors and peer reviewers, April 2009. Read about the experience of introducing new policies to the journal (PDF)
Dr Chris Morris, Associate Editor of the Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology

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Please share your journal’s experiences with reporting guidelines, positive or negative, by contacting equator@csm.ox.ac.uk

  • Read more here about the problems in health research reporting that we hope to deal with using reporting guidelines
  • Read more here if you want to start implementing reporting guidelines in your journal
  • Go back to the toolkit homepage