science

Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology

Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology rather than just read about it. In short: The STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) Statement is a reporting guideline including a checklist of 22 items that are considered essential for good reporting of observational studies. It was published simultaneously in several leading biomedical journals in October and November 2007 and comprises both the checklist and an explanation and elaboration article which gives examp…

Key takeaways

Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) Statement is a reporting guideline including a checklist of 22 items that are considered essential for good reporting of observational studies. It was published simultaneously in several leading biomedical journals in October and November 2007 and comprises both the checklist and an explanation and elaboration article which gives examples of good reporting and provides authors with more guidance on good reporting. It is also referred to in the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and is endorsed by hundreds of biomedical journals.

Purpose

The STROBE Statement was developed by the STROBE Initiative, an international collaboration of epidemiologists, methodologists, statisticians, researchers and journal editors with the aim to assist authors when writing up analytical observational studies, to support editors and reviewers when considering such articles for publication, and to help readers when critically appraising published articles.

Extensions There are many extensions to the STROBE Statement which cover a variety of different topic domains such as nutritional epidemiology, genetic association studies, rheumatology, molecular epidemiology, infectious disease molecular epidemiology, respondent-driven sampling, routinely collected health data (e.g., health administrative data, electronic health records, and registry data), antimicrobial stewardship programs, seroepidemiologic studies for influenza, medical abortion, simulation-based research, newborn infection, veterinary, and sports injury and illness. A draft checklist for reporting observational studies in conference abstracts is also available.

Adaptations and future In 2010, three years after STROBE's publication, the original creators reconvened and deemed an update unnecessary at the time. However, since, calls have supported for the reporting guideline to be updated, similarly to other reporting guidelines (like CONSORT and PRISMA) which have been updated as needed. An assessment of extension content as well as a survey of authors of observational studies provided several areas to improve upon. The STROBE Statement checklist is also available to use within a Writing Aid Tool add-in for Microsoft Word that includes the STROBE checklist within the software. The STROBE Statement has also been adapted as a public, open-source repository for epidemiological research methods and reporting skills for observational studies. Epidemiologists, statisticians, and public health researchers are able to comment and edit the tool to inform future updates of the reporting guideline.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology

In research: Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Epidemiological study projects, Nursing research, Quality assurance, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology in simple terms?

Why does Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology.