查看文章

Observational studies are the foundation of all biomedical and clinical research. 1 While clinical trials and meta-analyses offer the highest levels of evidence and are therefore considered the gold standards of human research, experimental studies would be hardly possible without any evidence from the hypothesis-generating observational studies. It is by the help of well-conducted epidemiological studies that scientists can inform public health decisions and clinical practice guidelines.

Nevertheless, observational epidemiological studies are not always conducted by expert epidemiologists. In such cases, fundamental deficiencies in reporting have been identified. 2 Conflicting results from epidemiological studies on the risks of common daily products, such as the use of coffee, hair dyes, or hormones, are frequently and eagerly reported in the popular press, providing a constant source of anxiety and confusion to the public. This raises the need for guidelines on reporting such studies as medical journal editors might face problems upon reviewing these papers.