EQUATOR in Action: How Checklists Work for Scientists
In 2024, Consortium PSYCHIATRICUM introduced a new requirement for submitted manuscripts. Now, before submitting their paper, the authors should structure it according to the EQUATOR Network guidelines. These guidelines have proven their value, as many highly ranked international journals use them to enhance the transparency and accuracy of published data. Russian journals are also beginning to introduce this methodology for describing medical research.
This is why all those who publish biomedical research (not only in Consortium PSYCHIATRICUM) need to know how to use the EQUATOR Network guidelines. Let's have a closer look at these guidelines and find out how to use them! Next week we’ll publish a new post on check lists every day!
- What is EQUATOR Network?
- Benefits for authors
- Where to find checklists?
- How to choose a checklist for your research?
- How to use a checklist?
1. What is EQUATOR Network?
EQUATOR Network — is a global initiative that aims to improve the quality and transparency of research in the area of healthcare. The guidelines on how to properly describe different types of papers are published on the project's website and are recognized by the professional community. They are presented in the form of checklists and include the names of mandatory sections in the manuscript, along with a detailed explanation of what should be provided in each of these sections. In essence, this is a detailed instruction for authors that helps them to describe and structure their research paper in a logical way.
- Benefits for authors
First, this increases the speed of writing a manuscript. The recommendations provide clear guidance on what to disclose in each section.
Secondly, this improves the quality of papers. Checklists help authors to thoroughly work through their research papers.
Thirdly, this speeds up the process of reviewing and editing a manuscript by the editors in the journal.
- Where to find checklists?
The EQUATOR Network website provides the most comprehensive library of guidelines for describing all types and designs of biomedical research.
On the Consortium PSYCHIATRICUM website we posted checklists for the most common types of papers:
Results of diagnostic/prognostic studies
Narrative (literature) reviews
- How to choose a checklist for your research?
We provided some user-friendly flow diagrams to help authors choosing a checklist. If you know the type of your study, use Figure 1:
If you have any doubts, open Figure 2 Decision Tree:
The EQUATOR Network website also has an advanced search form that allows to find a checklist by research type and clinical area.
- How to use a checklist?
- Download a checklist that matches the type of your paper.
- Verify whether all sections indicated on the checklist are available in the manuscript.
If some section is not applicable to your research, it should still be added to the paper and marked as "Not Applicable". - Read the recommendations provided in the checklist for the content of each section. Does your text meet these recommendations?
- In the right column of the checklist next to each section, indicate the page of your manuscript where that section can be found.
- Send the completed checklist, along with the manuscript, to the editorial team of the journal.
Want to know more about Equator guidelines?
Watch a lecture by Ruslan Saygitov, Scientific Editor of the Consortium Psychiatricum for more details.