Reporting Guidelines

For Authors

The Journal of Rural and Tropical Nursing (JRTN) endorses reporting guidelines developed and indexed by the EQUATOR Network. Authors are expected to identify and apply the most appropriate reporting guideline for their study design when preparing a manuscript for submission.

Download JRTN Checklists Search EQUATOR Guidelines

Purpose of Reporting Guidelines

Reporting guidelines improve the completeness, transparency, and reproducibility of health research publications.

Reporting guidelines provide structured checklists and explanatory documents specifying the minimum information that must be present for a reader to understand, critically appraise, and replicate a study. They are not methodological prescriptions but tools for transparent communication of what was done and what was found.

What Reporting Guidelines Are

  • Structured checklists of items that should be addressed in a manuscript.
  • Guides for transparent communication of study design, methods, and findings.
  • Tools endorsed by journals, publishers, and health research organizations worldwide.
  • Instruments that support peer reviewers in evaluating methodological completeness.

What Reporting Guidelines Are Not

  • Prescriptions for how to conduct a study.
  • Substitutes for methodological rigor, ethical oversight, or critical appraisal.
  • Guarantees of acceptance — completeness of reporting is one of several editorial criteria.
  • Rigid templates — authors should adapt item descriptions to their specific context.

JRTN Expectations

How JRTN uses reporting guidelines in the submission and review process.

Authors should identify and apply the most appropriate guideline for their study design before preparing the manuscript, not as a final step before submission.

A completed reporting checklist may be uploaded as an optional supplementary file at initial submission. The editorial office may request the checklist during technical screening, peer review, or revision.

Where a standard guideline exists for the study design, authors should explain any intentional departures from its recommended items in the Methods section.

Authors are responsible for selecting the guideline and extension that most accurately match their study design. When multiple guidelines are applicable, the most specific one takes precedence.

Checklists are available for download

The JRTN Reporting Checklist Collection contains downloadable templates for commonly used reporting standards. These templates are provided for convenience; the authoritative versions are always those published by the EQUATOR Network and the relevant guideline developers.

Reporting Guidelines by Study Type

Select the guideline that matches the actual study design and data-collection method of the manuscript.

Study or Report Type Guideline Key JRTN Expectation
Randomized controlled trials CONSORT Apply the checklist and include a participant flow diagram. Use the relevant CONSORT extension where applicable.
Observational studies (cohort, case-control, cross-sectional) STROBE Apply the checklist corresponding to the specific observational design.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses PRISMA Apply the checklist and flow diagram. Include protocol registration information where available.
Scoping reviews and evidence maps PRISMA-ScR Apply the PRISMA-ScR checklist and an appropriate study-selection flow diagram.
Qualitative interviews and focus groups COREQ Report research team composition, reflexivity, study design, analytical approach, and key findings transparently.
Other qualitative research designs SRQR Select COREQ or SRQR according to the qualitative design and data-collection method.
Mixed-methods studies Appropriate mixed-methods guidance Explain the rationale for integrating methods and describe how qualitative and quantitative findings were synthesized.
Randomized trial protocols SPIRIT Apply the protocol checklist and report prospective trial registration details.
Systematic review protocols PRISMA-P Apply the protocol checklist and provide registration information where applicable.
Diagnostic accuracy studies STARD Apply the checklist and include a participant flow diagram where relevant.
Prediction models and AI-based prediction TRIPOD Report model development, validation, performance metrics, data sources, limitations, and clinical applicability.
Clinical or community case reports CARE Apply the checklist and obtain written consent from the patient or community for publication.
Quality improvement studies SQUIRE Describe the local problem, intervention, contextual factors, evaluation strategy, outcomes, and sustainability.
Economic evaluations CHEERS Report the analytical perspective, assumptions, cost estimates, outcomes, and uncertainty analysis.
Intervention descriptions requiring replication detail TIDieR Use TIDieR alongside the primary study-design guideline when intervention details require sufficient depth for replication.

The table above covers the guidelines most commonly relevant to JRTN submissions. For study designs not listed, consult the full EQUATOR Network reporting guidelines library to identify the most appropriate standard.

How to Apply a Reporting Guideline

A practical four-step process for integrating a reporting guideline into manuscript preparation.

Step 01 Identify the study design

Select the guideline that corresponds to the actual research design and methods used in the study, not the intended design or a close approximation.

Step 02 Read the guideline and explanation document

Download both the checklist and the accompanying explanation and elaboration document from the EQUATOR Network or the guideline developer's website before drafting the manuscript.

Step 03 Complete the checklist during writing

For each applicable item in the checklist, record the relevant page, section, table, or figure number in the manuscript where the information appears.

Step 04 Retain the checklist for submission

Upload the completed checklist as an optional supplementary file at initial submission, or be prepared to provide it when requested by the editorial office or a reviewer.

Extensions and Adaptations

Many core guidelines have been extended to address specific populations, methods, or research contexts.

When a study has specific characteristics — such as a cluster randomized design, an online survey method, a network meta-analysis, or research involving Indigenous or vulnerable communities — the appropriate extension of the core guideline should also be applied alongside the base checklist.

Common CONSORT Extensions

  • CONSORT for cluster randomized trials
  • CONSORT for pilot and feasibility trials
  • CONSORT for non-inferiority and equivalence trials
  • CONSORT for pragmatic trials

Other Notable Extensions

  • PRISMA-NMA for network meta-analyses
  • STROBE-STROME-ID for infectious disease epidemiology
  • TRIPOD-AI for AI and machine learning models
  • CARE-community adaptation for community health case reports

A comprehensive list of extensions is maintained by the EQUATOR Network. Authors should consult the full library to identify all applicable extensions for their study.

Ready to prepare your manuscript?

Download the JRTN Reporting Checklist Collection or search the EQUATOR Network for the guideline that matches your study design.

Search EQUATOR Guidelines Download JRTN Checklists