Table.
Instructions to Contributors
| No. | Instruction | Number of Journals (%) | Subgroups (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No guidance | 100 (41) | |
| 2 | Reference or link to ICMJE | 26 (11) | |
| 2a | - current version* | 13 (6) | |
| 2b | - old version† | 9 (4) | |
| 2c | - vague wording | 4 (2) | |
| 3 | Uses ICMJE wording | 25 (11) | |
| 3a | - current criteria‡ | 16 (7) | |
| 3b | - old criteria§ | 9 (4) | |
| 4 | Paraphrases ICMJE | 17 (7) | |
| 5 | Own criteria | 33 (14) | |
| Authors must approve paper | 33 (14) | ||
| Total | 234 | ||
| ** | Lists contributors | 21 (9) |
*
Refers to www.icmje.org;
†
refers to version published in 1997 (eg, Annals of Internal Medicine, Lancet, NEJM) or earlier;
‡
criteria from post-2001 versions (includes “data acquisition” as qualifying activity);
§
criteria from pre-2001 versions (before addition of “data acquisition”);
**
this category was not an exclusive one