Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 7;20(5):e0322003.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322003. eCollection 2025.

A cross-sectional study on the endorsement of reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration among immunology and allergy journals

Adam Khan  1 , Tim Smith  1 , Asaad Chaudhry  1 , Caleb A Smith  2 , Danya Nees  3 , Griffin Hughes  1 , Kaylyn Rowsey  1 , Matt Vassar  1   4
Affiliations

A cross-sectional study on the endorsement of reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration among immunology and allergy journals

Adam Khan et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Healthcare practitioners rely on research based on solid evidence for their clinical decisions, ensuring the provision of safe and effective patient care. The use of reporting guidelines and the registration of clinical trials enhance the reliability and credibility of research findings by promoting transparency and minimizing potential biases. However, it remains uncertain to what extent leading immunology and allergy journals have embraced these tools. This study aims to evaluate how commonly reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration are required and endorsed within leading immunology and allergy journals.

Methods: We identified the top 100 journals in the subcategory of "Immunology and Allergy" using the Scopus CiteScore tool for the year 2021. We thoroughly reviewed the "Instructions for Authors" section of each journal, focusing on indications related to specific reporting guidelines as outlined by the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) Network, as well as the practice of clinical trial registration. Our documentation categorized statements as "Not Mentioned," "Recommended," "Not Accepted," or "Required." The category "Not Accepted" specifically indicated that the journal explicitly did not accept the study designs associated with certain reporting guidelines, rather than implying bias against these guidelines. ensure equitable evaluation, we communicated with each journal to confirm the types of articles they accepted.

Results: Among the 100 journals assessed, the CONSORT guideline emerged as the most frequently cited, with 60 journals recommending adherence and 13 requiring it. Conversely, the QUOROM guideline was the least commonly cited, with merely two journals recommending its adherence and none requiring it. Nineteen journals did not reference a single reporting guideline. Remarkably, clinical trial registration was required by 42 journals and recommended by 34.

Conclusion: This study reveals variation in the adoption of reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration in immunology and allergy journals. While some journals strongly advocate for or require these practices, others do not emphasize them at all. This inconsistency affects research rigor and reproducibility, highlighting the need for stricter enforcement. Editors should encourage these practices to enhance transparency and minimize biases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. PRISMA flow diagram of journal selection process.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Editorial policies on reporting guidelines and clinical trial registration.
“Not Accepted” indicated journals explicitly did not accept submissions of specific study designs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Gutowska-Ślesik J, Samoliński B, Krzych-Fałta E. The increase in allergic conditions based on a review of literature. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2023;40(1):1–7. doi: 10.5114/ada.2022.119009 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Genuneit J, Seibold AM, Apfelbacher CJ, Christian J. Apfelbacher, George NK. Overview of systematic reviews in allergy epidemiology. Allergy. 2017;72(6):849–856. - PubMed
    1. Neta G, Glasgow RE, Carpenter CR, Grimshaw JM, Rabin BA, Fernandez ME, et al.. A framework for enhancing the value of research for dissemination and implementation. Am J Public Health. 2015;105(1):49–57. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302206 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Turner L, Shamseer L, Altman DG, Schulz KF, Moher D. Does use of the CONSORT statement impact the completeness of reporting of randomised controlled trials published in medical journals? A Cochrane review. Syst Rev. 2012;1:1–7. doi: 10.1186/2046-4053-1-60 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sarkis-Onofre R, Cenci MS, Demarco FF, Lynch CD, Fleming PS, Pereira-Cenci T, et al.. Use of guidelines to improve the quality and transparency of reporting oral health research. J Dent. 2015;43(4):397–404. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2015.01.006 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources