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The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies
| Reporting guideline provided for? (i.e. exactly what the authors state in the paper) |
Observational studies in epidemiology (cohort, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies) STROBE checklist: combined Word / PDF STROBE checklist: cohort studies Word / PDF STROBE checklist: case-control studies Word / PDF STROBE checklist: cross-sectional studies Word / PDF |
| Full bibliographic reference | von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gotzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. This guideline was published simultaneously in 8 journals. You can read the guideline in any of these journals using the links below. Ann Intern Med. 2007; 147(8):573-577. PMID: 17938396 PLoS Med. 2007;4(10):e296. PMID: 17941714 BMJ. 2007;335(7624):806-808. PMID: 17947786 Prev Med. 2007;45(4):247-251. PMID: 17950122 Epidemiology. 2007;18(6):800-804. PMID: 18049194 Lancet. 2007;370(9596):1453-1457. PMID: 18064739 J Clin Epidemiol. 2008;61(4):344-349. PMID: 18313558 Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85(11):867-872. PMID: 18038077 |
| Language | English |
| Explanation and elaboration papers | Vandenbroucke JP, von Elm E, Altman DG, Gotzsche PC, Mulrow CD, Pocock SJ, Poole C, Schlesselman JJ, Egger M. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE): Explanation and Elaboration. The explanation and elaboration paper for this guideline was published simultaneously in 3 journals. You can read the explanation and elaboration paper in any of these journals using the links below. PLoS Med. 2007;4(10):e297. PMID: 17941715 Epidemiology. 2007;18(6):805-35. PMID: 18049195 Ann Intern Med. 2007;147(8):W163-94. PMID: 17938389 The EQUATOR team edited a textbook called Guidelines for Reporting Health Research: A User’s Manual. It includes chapters on the guidelines most commonly required by journals. Read Chapter 17, on STROBE (PDF). |
| Availability in additional languages | The STROBE Statement has been translated into the following languages: Chinese (PDF); German (PDF); Greek (PDF); Japanese (PDF); Portuguese (PDF) (unofficial translation); Spanish (PDF); Italian (PDF). The STROBE explanation and elaboration paper has been translated into the following languages: Japanese (PDF); Spanish (PDF). The STROBE checklist has been translated into the following languages: Persian (PDF); Turkish (PDF). Visit our translations page to find out what other reporting guidelines are available in languages other than English: reporting guideline translations |
| Relevant more generic / specialised reporting guidelines (i.e. main generic guideline or extension to a generic guideline) |
Specialised STREGA: Little J, Higgins JP, Ioannidis JP, Moher D, Gagnon F, von Elm E, Khoury MJ, Cohen B, Davey-Smith G, Grimshaw J, Scheet P, Gwinn M, Williamson RE, Zou GY, Hutchings K, Johnson CY, Tait V, Wiens M, Golding J, van Duijn C, McLaughlin J, Paterson A, Wells G, Fortier I, Freedman M, Zecevic M, King R, Infante-Rivard C, Stewart A, Birkett N; STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association Studies. STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association Studies (STREGA): An Extension of the STROBE Statement. PLoS Med. 2009;6(2):e22. PMID: 19192942 Hum Genet. 2009;125(2):131-151. PMID: 19184668 Eur J Epidemiol. 2009;24(1):37-55. PMID: 19189221 Ann Intern Med. 2009;150(3):206-215. PMID: 19189911 J Clin Epidemiol. 2009;62(6):597-608.e4. PMID: 19217256 Genet Epidemiol. 2009;33(7):581-598. PMID: 19278015 Eur J Clin Invest. 2009;39(4):247-266. PMID: 19297801 STROBE-ME: Gallo V, Egger M, McCormack V, Farmer PB, Ioannidis JP, Kirsch-Volders M, Matullo G, Phillips DH, Schoket B, Stromberg U, Vermeulen R, Wild C, Porta M, Vineis P. STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology - Molecular Epidemiology (STROBE-ME): An extension of the STROBE statement. Eur J Clin Invest. 2012;42(1):1-16. PMID: 22023344 STROBE checklist for conference abstracts First draft of the STROBE checklist of items to be included when reporting observational studies in conference abstracts. Link to full text pdf STROME-ID: Field N, Cohen T, Struelens MJ, Palm D, Cookson B, Glynn JR, Gallo V, Ramsay M, Sonnenberg P, Maccannell D, Charlett A, Egger M, Green J, Vineis P, Abubakar I. Strengthening the Reporting of Molecular Epidemiology for Infectious Diseases (STROME-ID): an extension of the STROBE statement. Lancet Infect Dis. 2014. pii: S1473-3099(13)70324-4. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(13)70324-4. PMID: 24631223 Longitudinal observational drug studies in rheumatology: Zavada J, Dixon WG, Askling J. Launch of a checklist for reporting longitudinal observational drug studies in rheumatology: a EULAR extension of STROBE guidelines based on experience from biologics registries. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73(3):628. PMID: 24058015 Case-cohort studies: Sharp SJ, Poulaliou M, Thompson SG, White IR, Wood AM. A review of published analyses of case-cohort studies and recommendations for future reporting. PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e101176. PMID: 24972092 STROBE-RDS: White RG, Hakim AJ, Salganik MJ, Spiller MW, Johnston LG, Kerr L, Kendall C, Drake A, Wilson D, Orroth K, Egger M, Hladik W. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology for respondent-driven sampling studies: "STROBE-RDS" statement. J Clin Epidemiol. 2015 May 1. PMID: 26112433 RECORD: Benchimol EI, Smeeth L, Guttmann A, Harron K, Moher D, Petersen I, Sørensen HT, von Elm E, Langan SM; RECORD Working Committee. The REporting of studies Conducted using Observational Routinely-collected health Data (RECORD) Statement. PLoS Med. 2015;12(10):e1001885. PMID: 26440803 STROBE-AMS: Tacconelli E, Cataldo MA, Paul M, Leibovici L, Kluytmans J, Schröder W, Foschi F, De Angelis G, De Waure C, Cadeddu C, Mutters NT, Gastmeier P, Cookson B. STROBE-AMS: recommendations to optimise reporting of epidemiological studies on antimicrobial resistance and informing improvement in antimicrobial stewardship. BMJ Open. 2016;6(2):e010134. PMID: 26895985 STROBE-nut: Lachat C, Hawwash D, Ocké MC, Berg C, Forsum E, Hörnell A, Larsson C, Sonestedt E, Wirfält E, Åkesson A, Kolsteren P, Byrnes G, De Keyzer W, Van Camp J, Cade JE, Slimani N, Cevallos M, Egger M, Huybrechts I. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology—Nutritional Epidemiology (STROBE-nut): An Extension of the STROBE Statement. PLoS Med; 2016:13(6):e1002036. PMID: 27270749 Simulation Research: Cheng A, Kessler D, Mackinnon R, Chang TP, Nadkarni VM, Hunt EA, Duval-Arnould J, Lin Y, Cook DA, Pusic M, Hui J, Moher D, Egger M, Auerbach M; International Network for Simulation-based Pediatric Innovation, Research, and Education (INSPIRE) Reporting Guidelines Investigators. Reporting Guidelines for Health Care Simulation Research: Extensions to the CONSORT and STROBE Statements. Simul Healthc. 2016;11(4):238-248. PMID: 27465839 ROSES-I: Horby PW, Laurie KL, Cowling BJ, Engelhardt OG, Sturm-Ramirez K, Sanchez JL, Katz JM, Uyeki TM, Wood J, Van Kerkhove MD; CONSISE Steering Committee. CONSISE statement on the reporting of Seroepidemiologic Studies for influenza (ROSES-I statement): an extension of the STROBE statement. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2016 Jul 15. PMID: 27417916 STROBE-NI: Fitchett EJA, Seale AC, Vergnano S, Sharland M, Heath PT, Saha SK, Agarwal R, Ayede AI, Bhutta ZA, Black R, Bojang K, Campbell H, Cousens S, Darmstadt GL, Madhi SA, Meulen AS, Modi N, Patterson J, Qazi S, Schrag SJ, Stoll BJ, Wall SN, Wammanda RD, Lawn JE, on behalf of the SPRING (Strengthening Publications Reporting Infection in Newborns Globally) Group. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology for Newborn Infection (STROBE-NI): an extension of the STROBE statement for neonatal infection research. Lancet Infect Dis. 2016;16(10):e202-13. PMID: 27633910 Propensity score analysis: Yao XI, Wang X, Speicher PJ, Hwang ES, Cheng P, Harpole DH, Berry MF, Schrag D, Pang HH. Reporting and Guidelines in Propensity Score Analysis: A Systematic Review of Cancer and Cancer Surgical Studies. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2017;109(8). PMID: 28376195 RECORD-PE: Langan SM, Schmidt SAJ, Wing K, Ehrenstein V, Nicholls SG, Filion KB, Klungel O, Petersen I, Sorensen HT, Dixon WG, Guttmann A, Harron K, Hemkens LG, Moher D, Schneeweiss S, Smeeth L, Sturkenboom M, von Elm E, Wang SV, Benchimol EI. The reporting of studies conducted using observational routinely collected health data statement for pharmacoepidemiology (RECORD-PE). BMJ 2018;363:k3532. STROBE-SIIS: International Olympic Committee Injury and Illness Epidemiology Consensus Group, Bahr R, Clarsen B, Derman W, Dvorak J, Emery CA, Finch CF, Hägglund M, Junge A, Kemp S, Khan KM, Marshall SW, Meeuwisse W, Mountjoy M, Orchard JW, Pluim B, Quarrie KL, Reider B, Schwellnus M, Soligard T, Stokes KA, Timpka T, Verhagen E, Bindra A, Budgett R, Engebretsen L, Erdener U, Chamari K. International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement: Methods for Recording and Reporting of Epidemiological Data on Injury and Illness in Sports 2020 (Including the STROBE Extension for Sports Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS)). Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(7):372-389. PMID: 32071062 Orthop J Sports Med. 2020;8(2):2325967120902908. PMID: 32118084 STROBE-MR: Skrivankova VW, Richmond RC, Woolf BAR, Yarmolinsky J, Davies NM, Swanson SA, VanderWeele TJ, Higgins JPT, Timpson NJ, Dimou N, Langenberg C, Golub RM, Loder EW, Gallo V, Tybjaerg-Hansen A, Davey Smith G, Egger M, Richards JB. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Using Mendelian Randomization: The STROBE-MR Statement. JAMA. 2021;326(16):1614-1621. PMID: 34698778 |
| Reporting guideline website URL | https://www.strobe-statement.org/ |
| Reporting guideline acronym | STROBE |
| Study design | Observational studies |
| Applies to the whole report or to individual sections of the report? | Whole report |
| Previous versions of this guideline / Guideline history | STROBE 2004/2005 |
| Other | Online fillable STROBE checklists are available via the GoodReports website for: Case control studies Cohort studies Cross sectional studies |
| Additional information | What is STROBE? STROBE stands for an international, collaborative initiative of epidemiologists, methodologists, statisticians, researchers and journal editors involved in the conduct and dissemination of observational studies, with the common aim of STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology. The STROBE Statement is being endorsed by a growing number of biomedical journals. Aims and use of STROBE Incomplete and inadequate reporting of research hampers the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the studies reported in the medical literature. Readers need to know what was planned (and what was not), what was done, what was found, and what the results mean. Recommendations on the reporting of studies that are endorsed by leading medical journals can improve the quality of reporting. Observational research comprises several study designs and many topic areas. We aimed to establish a checklist of items that should be included in articles reporting such research - the STROBE Statement. We considered it reasonable to initially restrict the recommendations to the three main analytical designs that are used in observational research: cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. We want to provide guidance on how to report observational research well. Our recommendations are not prescriptions for designing or conducting studies. Also, the checklist is not an instrument to evaluate the quality of observational research. Further use: The STROBE initiative should be seen as an ongoing process, with future revisions of the recommendations based on comments, critique and new evidence. We welcome translations into other languages and extensions to other observational study designs, for example nested case-control studies, and specific topic areas, for example, genetic and molecular epidemiology. Note: We ask anyone intending to use the STROBE Statement for further extensions, translations or other STROBE-related work to contact the coordinating group through this website first. This will allow to coordinate efforts and to avoid duplication. The authors of the original STROBE articles hold the copyright. Please, contact us if you wish to re-publish STROBE material in additional journals, books or other media. Contact the STROBE Initiative |
| Selected relevant editorials | Uhlig K, Menon V, Schmid CH. Recommendations for Reporting of Clinical Research Studies. Am J Kidney Dis. 2007;49(1):3-7. PMID: 17185140 |
| Record last updated on | March 6, 2023 |