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Structure of a medical research paper: key content elements, writing tips and examples of reporting guidelines from the EQUATOR website
Reporting guidelines that provide recommendations on reporting information relating to:
Study design / methodology
Generic framework for reporting key methodology aspects of:
- Main study designs (generic guidelines)
- More specialised designs
- Specific methods, evaluations, analyses
No details relating to specific to diseases
Specific discipline / clinical area
Key focus is on discipline / clinical area specific issues
May or may not address general methodology items
Framework for a complete
research study / research paper
Examples include:
Framework for only a part of the
research study / research paper
Examples include:
Framework for a complete
research study / paper
Examples include:
Framework for only a part of
the research study / paper
Examples include:
Indicate the focus of the paper and include important
relevant ‘keywords’ to allow identification of the study
through electronic searches.
Be concise, precise, and informative.
Main study designs (generic
guidelines):
CONSORT: parallel randomised
trials
STROBE: observational studies in
epidemiology
STARD: diagnostic accuracy
studies
COREQ: qualitative research
SQUIRE: quality improvement
studies
COGS: clinical practice guidelines
PRISMA: systematic reviews
MOOSE: systematic reviews of
observational studies in
epidemiology
Case reports
More specialised designs (often
extending the generic guidance):
CONSORT for cluster trials
CONSORT non-inferiority trials
CONSORT for pragmatic trials
TREND: non-randomised
studies of behavioural and
public health interventions
REMARK: tumour marker
prognostic studies
STARE-HI: evaluation studies in
health informatics
Longitudinal studies in
rheumatology
Adverse events reports in
traditional Chinese medicine
Case series of colon tumours
Most journals require a structured abstract, typically
including key information on the following:
- Objectives
- Methods (setting, participants, intervention, main
outcome measures)
- Results
- Conclusions
CONSORT for abstracts
STROBE for abstracts
STARE-HI for abstracts of
studies in health informatics
Provide the scientific background and clearly explain what
questions you were trying to answer.
Be brief and relevant to the study: start from a broad context
of what is already known, proceed to the specific unknown
problems, and finish with clearly stated study objectives
Describe in a logical sequence how the study was designed,
carried out, and analysed.
A typical methods section provides key information on the
following:
- Setting, location
- Participants (or objects)
- Study design including planned sample size
- Interventions (or exposures)
- Outcomes (variables)
- All statistical methods
- Ethical issues (e.g. consent)
Information should be clear, accurate, and complete (provide
enough details to repeat, assess, and compare with other
studies)
Content should correspond with the Result section
Statistical guidelines:
Bayesian analysis in clinical trials
Subgroup analyses in trials
Economic evaluations:
Cost-effectiveness analysis
Economic evaluations in trials
Quality of life assessment in trials
STARLITE: literature searches
Intervention:
STRICTA (CONSORT extension
for acupuncture trials)
Cancer pain educational
interventions
Procedures:
Cardiovascular magnetic
resonance examinations
Statistical guidelines:
Multivariate logistic regression
in transplantation research
Economic evaluations:
Economic evaluations in
obstetrics
Quality of life assessment in
cancer trials