Table 3.

Recommendations on how to avoid conflation

Recommendations for researchers
1	Clearly define the research question and consider whether the aim is causal, predictive, diagnostic or descriptive
2	Be mindful of frequent mistakes that cause conflation between etiology & prediction and distinguish between the two by using appropriate terminology
3	Consult methodological experts as well as reporting and methodological guidelines (e.g. STROBE, TRIPOD, STARD, REMARK)
Recommendations for universities, journals & policy-makers
1	Work on improving education on prediction research and the distinction between prediction & etiology, including the promotion of distinct terminology for prediction and etiological research
2	Promote the use of reporting and methodological guidelines
3	Include methodological expert as peer-reviewers and/or editors