Tramuta-Drobnis Erica, Rey L M, Brennan Marnie L, Cowles Bobby, Crews Molly E, Fausak Erik D, Marcellin-Little Denis J, Whitehead Martin L, Moberly Heather K
ELTD One Health Consulting LLC, Zionsville, PA.
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Clinical and Research Information Service, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Am J Vet Res. 2025 Jan 30;86(4). doi: 10.2460/ajvr.24.10.0304. Print 2025 Apr 1.
To survey academic journals for the presence and clarity of author instructions for submitting veterinary systematic reviews.
Instructions to authors for submitting systematic reviews were surveyed across the 10 academic journals publishing the greatest number of veterinary systematic reviews listed in VetSRev, a citation database exclusively listing systematic reviews of topics relevant to veterinary medicine. Two investigators independently reviewed each author instructions section to answer predetermined survey questions. Data were collected and reviewed from October 21, 2023, through April 9, 2024.
Instructions to authors varied across journals, and the requirements for compliance with established reporting guidelines (eg, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) were inconsistent. Four of 10 journals clearly stated the need to follow systematic reporting guidelines, 4 recommended or encouraged the use of guidelines, and 2 had no specific instructions for systematic reviews or reporting guidelines.
Instructions for authors submitting veterinary medical systematic reviews are often incomplete or unclear.
In the absence of clear and consistent journal requirements for compliance with established systematic review reporting guidelines, the risk of publishing bias or misleading systematic reviews may be increased, which may negatively impact clinical decision making. Ensuring clear and concise instructions for authors will improve the quality of evidence and reporting. Greater clarity and consistency of author instructions and reporting requirements across all journals and increasing author awareness of the need to use reporting guidelines will improve the quality of veterinary systematic reviews.
调查学术期刊中兽医系统评价投稿的作者指南情况及清晰度。
在VetSRev（一个专门列出与兽医学相关主题系统评价的引文数据库）中列出的发表兽医系统评价数量最多的10种学术期刊中，对提交系统评价的作者指南进行了调查。两名研究人员独立审查每个作者指南部分，以回答预先确定的调查问题。数据收集时间为2023年10月21日至2024年4月9日。
各期刊的作者指南各不相同，对遵循既定报告指南（如系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目）的要求也不一致。10种期刊中有4种明确指出需要遵循系统报告指南，4种推荐或鼓励使用指南，2种对系统评价或报告指南没有具体说明。
提交兽医医学系统评价的作者指南往往不完整或不清晰。
在缺乏关于遵循既定系统评价报告指南的明确且一致的期刊要求的情况下，发表偏倚或误导性系统评价的风险可能会增加，这可能会对临床决策产生负面影响。确保为作者提供清晰简洁的指南将提高证据质量和报告水平。所有期刊的作者指南和报告要求更加清晰一致，并提高作者对使用报告指南必要性的认识，将提高兽医系统评价的质量。
