BMJ  2007;335:806-808 (20 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.39335.541782.AD

Analysis

Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies

¹ Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Finkenhubelweg 11, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland, ² Centre for Statistics in Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford , ³ London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, ⁴ Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark , ⁵ Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Hospital, Leiden, Netherlands

Poor reporting of research hampers assessment and makes it less useful. An international group of methodologists, researchers, and journal editors sets out guidelines to improve reports of observational studies

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Much biomedical research is observational. The reporting of such research is often inadequate, which hampers the assessment of its strengths and weaknesses and of a study's generalisability. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Initiative developed recommendations on what should be included in an accurate and complete report of an observational study. We defined the scope of the recommendations to cover three main study designs: cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies. We convened a 2-day workshop in September, 2004, with methodologists, researchers, and journal editors to draft a checklist of items. This list was subsequently revised during several meetings of the coordinating group and in e-mail discussions with the larger group of STROBE contributors, taking into account empirical evidence and methodological considerations. The workshop and the subsequent iterative process of consultation and revision resulted in a checklist of 22 items (the STROBE statement) that relate to the title, . . . [Full text of this article]

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