The Registrar

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Abstract
In a word—QUALITY—there is substantial evidence that there are significant deficiencies in the medical literature regarding the reporting of research studies. These shortcomings include the omission of valuable information about research methods or interventions, selective reporting of outcomes or risk, and ambiguous or confusing data. These errors can lead to incorrect conclusions, some with deleterious results for patients, misdirection of practitioners and poor decision-making by policy makers. These observations have lead to the development and dissemination of guidelines and checklists to assist researchers, authors, reviewers, editors and journals to meet certain standards of best practice. They are designed by experts in study design, epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology. The routine use of these research reporting guidelines by biomedical journals has become an important step in quality control. Reporting guidelines complement the journals' existing instructions to authors. Many journals require them. The published report of a study provides a clear explanation of the study methods and statistical techniques to allow independent verification of the results and much more. NEUROSURGERY® has taken a huge step in endorsing these guidelines and statements and will require them for submissions. A full report of this initiative follows below.

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