23. Reporting Guidelines

23. Reporting Guidelines

The Pakistan Journal of Gastroenterology (PJG) encourages authors to prepare manuscripts in accordance with internationally recognized reporting guidelines to ensure transparency, completeness, accuracy, and reproducibility of research. Compliance with appropriate reporting standards improves the quality of manuscripts and facilitates the peer review process.

Authors should follow the reporting guideline that best matches their study design and are encouraged to submit the relevant completed checklist as a supplementary file during manuscript submission.

Recommended Reporting Guidelines

Authors should consider the following reporting guidelines, where applicable:

• CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials): For randomized controlled trials.
• PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses): For systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
• STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology): For observational studies, including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies.
• CARE (Case Report Guidelines): For case reports.
• STARD (Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy Studies): For diagnostic accuracy studies.
• ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments): For animal studies.
• SQUIRE (Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence): For quality improvement studies.

Authors are encouraged to consult the relevant reporting guideline before preparing their manuscript to ensure that all essential information is included.

Editorial Assessment

During the editorial and peer review process, manuscripts may be evaluated for compliance with the appropriate reporting guideline. Authors may be requested to revise their manuscript or submit the relevant reporting checklist if necessary.

Failure to adequately report study methods or results may delay the review process or affect the editorial decision.

Notes

• Select the reporting guideline appropriate for the study design.
• Reporting checklists should be completed accurately and submitted where applicable.
• Compliance with reporting guidelines improves manuscript quality and transparency.
• Following reporting standards does not guarantee acceptance but facilitates editorial and peer review.

Editorial Tip

Well-reported research enhances the reliability, reproducibility, and scientific value of published work. Authors are strongly encouraged to consult the appropriate reporting guideline before manuscript submission.