Write a Scientific Paper (WASP): Guidelines for reporting medical research

摘要

Several guidelines have been created in an attempt to raise the quality of different kinds of studies. These also attempt to ensure that research is reported accurately and transparently. Six such guidelines (CONSORT, MOOSE, PRISMA, SPIRIT, STARD, and STROBE) will be briefly discussed in this paper. The purpose of these guidelines is "to create a manual for the authors to follow, which should lead to total transparency, accurate reporting, and easier assessment of the validity of reported research findings." This goal has not been completely reached and it remains uncertain how it can as mandatory and full implementation at the journal end would entail significant and costly man-hours.