Reporting guidelines of health research studies are frequently used inappropriately.

Abstract Objectives Appropriate use of reporting guidelines of health research ensures that articles present readers with a consistent representation of study relevance, methodology and results. This study evaluated the use of major reporting guidelines. Study Design and Setting A cross-sectional analysis of health research articles citing four major reporting guidelines indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (up to June 24, 2018). Two independent reviews were performed in a random sample of 200 articles, including clinical trials (N=50), economic evaluations (N=50), systematic reviews (N=50) and animal research studies (N=50). The use of reporting guidelines to guide the reporting of research studies was considered appropriate. Inappropriate uses included the use of reporting guidelines as a tool to assess the methodological quality of studies or as a guideline on how to design and conduct studies. Results Across all selected reporting guidelines, appropriate use of reporting guidelines was observed in only 39% (95% CI 32-46%; 78/200) of articles. In contrast, inappropriate use was observed in 41% (95% CI 34-48%; 82/200) and unclear/other use was observed in 20% (95% CI 15-26%; 40/200). Conclusions and Relevance: Reporting guidelines of health research studies are frequently used inappropriately. Authors may require further education around appropriate use of reporting guidelines in research reporting.