Reporting guidelines in nursing: What authors need to know

Reporting guidelines indicate the minimum information required in a manuscript when reporting specific types of research, evidence syntheses, quality improvement (QI) projects, and other study types. These guidelines provide a list of content areas for clinicians to include, along with the recommended order in which they should appear, to ensure complete and transparent reporting. Adherence to reporting guidelines can improve the quality of a manuscript describing a research study, an evidence-based practice project, or a QI initiative. This article explains reporting guidelines and discusses their use in preparing manuscripts. It is essential to identify the relevant guidelines before initiating a research study, so that the necessary information is available for dissemination upon completion.