Guidelines for Reporting Research Data

There are two primary guidelines that you can follow when writing about randomized and observational trials: the CONSORT and the STROBE statements. The CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement was issued in 2001 and The STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) was issued in the fall of 2007. Both statements have been included in the publishing guidelines of several national and international journals. Each of these statements details a check-list of items to include when writing about randomized or observational studies that you should be familiar with as a medical writer. You can learn more about the statements in the articles below.

• von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP; STROBE Initiative. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Oct 16;147(8):573-7.

• Moher D, Schulz KF, Altman DG. The CONSORT statement: revised recommendations for improving the quality of reports of parallel-group randomized trials. Ann Intern Med 2001; 134(8):657-662.

• Altman DG, Schulz KF, Moher D, Egger M. Davidoff F, Elbourne D, Gøtzsche PC, Lang T. The revised CONSORT statement for reporting randomized trials: explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2001; 134(8):663-694.

You can learn more about reporting research findings and presenting data by taking the online course Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Medical Writers.