Evidence Syntheses-Health Sciences

A reporting guideline is a simple, structured tool for health researchers to use while writing manuscripts. A reporting guideline provides a minimum list of information needed to ensure a manuscript can be, for example:

• Understood by a reader,
• Replicated by a researcher,
• Used by a doctor to make a clinical decision, and
• Included in a systematic review.

Reporting guidelines are more than just some thoughts about what needs to be in an academic paper. We define a reporting guideline as:

“A checklist, flow diagram, or structured text to guide authors in reporting a specific type of research, developed using explicit methodology.”

Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research https://www.equator-network.org/

Systematic Review, Scoping Review and MetaAnalysis Reporting Guidelines

Handbooks and manuals provide practical methodological guidance for undertaking a systematic review.  They contain detailed steps on how to plan, conduct, organize, and present your review.  This is the best place to go if you have any questions about the best practices for any of the steps in the process.