Assessing Reporting Guidelines and Trial Registration in Pediatric Journals: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Journal Publishing
• Scientific Integrity

Background:

• Reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration are essential for transparent and reproducible health research.
• Previous assessments in 2010 indicated varying levels of adoption in pediatric journals.
• Ensuring adherence to these standards is critical for maintaining high-quality pediatric scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the current prevalence of reporting guideline and clinical trial registration requirements in pediatric journal author instructions.
• To compare current adoption rates with previous findings from 2010.
• To identify gaps in the endorsement of essential research transparency tools.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed "instructions for authors" from 100 peer-reviewed pediatric journals using Scopus data (2021).
• Two independent reviewers examined journal policies for mentions of the EQUATOR Network, ICMJE, specific guidelines (CONSORT, PRISMA), and trial registration.
• Data were collected on December 10, 2023.

Main Results:

• 33% of journals lacked specific reporting guideline references; 43% failed to mention clinical trial registration.
• The EQUATOR Network was cited by 39%, and ICMJE by 68% of journals.
• CONSORT (52%) and PRISMA (41%) were most cited; meta-analysis guidelines were largely absent (95-99%).

Conclusions:

• Pediatric journals demonstrate inadequate adoption of reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration requirements.
• These omissions compromise research quality, transparency, and reproducibility.
• Mandating these practices and exploring adoption barriers are necessary steps for pediatric journals.