Achieving Transparency in Reporting Health Research including
1st EQUATOR Annual Lecture presented by Sir Iain Chalmers

The EQUATOR Network is a new international initiative that aims to improve the reliability of scientific publications by promoting transparent and accurate reporting of health research.

Researchers, editors and peer reviewers put an incredible effort into the production of health research publications. However, there is clear evidence that many published studies are reported poorly. This has serious consequences for further research and clinical practice.

Use of robust reporting guidelines can lead to the improved accuracy and transparency of publications. Several internationally respected guidelines (e.g. CONSORT, STARD) have been developed through a collaboration of experts, methodologists and journal editors. However, they are still not widely used by researchers or supported by a majority of medical journals. The wide implementation of reporting guidelines is also complicated by recent proliferation of many other reporting guidelines.

Our meeting will focus on better understanding of problems associated with health research reporting and use of reporting guidelines and will discuss potential solutions that can lead to the improvement of the health research literature.

Topics include:
> Importance of good research reporting and consequences of poor reporting from perspectives of different users – researchers, clinicians, patients, editors and peer reviewers
> Improving the quality of research reports – tools, challenges and opportunities
> Role of research funders in ensuring the transparent and reliable publication of funded research
> Expectations, needs and responsibilities of the academic community
> Reporting guidelines: past, present and future
> The EQUATOR Network: resources and training for authors, editors and peer reviewers

Meeting contributors:
> Sir Muir Gray, National Knowledge Service, Oxford
> Prof Doug Altman, Centre for Statistics in Medicine, University of Oxford
> Dr David Moher, Chalmers Research Group, Ottawa, Canada
> Dr Paul Ayris, University College London
> Dr Kenneth Schulz, Family Health International, North Carolina, USA
> Dr John Hoey, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
> Dr Iveta Simera, EQUATOR Network Project Manager
….and other speakers to be confirmed

The meeting will be of great interest to publishers and editors of medical journals, peer reviewers, researchers, medical writers, representatives of research funding bodies, developers of reporting guidelines, and individuals involved in research education from universities, professional societies and associations.

Registration required:

Yes

Free:

No