Free tool
STROBE checklist
Paste your observational study. See where each item is reported, which are missing, and copy the finished checklist into Word.
Paste your paper, get the STROBE checklist pre-filled
Paste your Methods and Results, or the whole manuscript. We look for where each item is reported and show you the sentence, so you can check it and copy the finished checklist into Word. We check that the wording is there, not that it is good.
No account for your first result. Your text is read by fixed rules, not an AI model, and we do not keep it.
Fill in the STROBE checklist
Pick your design, write the page where each item is reported, then copy it into Word or save it as a PDF to submit with your paper.
| Item | Recommendation | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Title and abstract | ||
| 1a | Design. Name the study design with a commonly used term in the title or the abstract. | |
| 1b | Abstract. Give an informative, balanced summary of what was done and what was found. | |
| Introduction | ||
| 2 | Background and rationale. Explain the scientific background and the rationale for the study. | |
| 3 | Objectives. State the specific objectives, including any prespecified hypotheses. | |
| Methods | ||
| 4 | Study design. Present the key elements of the study design early in the paper. | |
| 5 | Setting. Describe the setting, locations and relevant dates: recruitment, exposure, follow-up and data collection. | |
| 6a | Participants. Give the eligibility criteria and the sources and methods of selecting participants. | |
| 7 | Variables. Define every outcome, exposure, predictor, potential confounder and effect modifier; give diagnostic criteria where relevant. | |
| 8 | Data sources and measurement. For each variable, give the source of the data and how it was measured; say whether measurement was the same in every group. | |
| 9 | Bias. Describe what was done to address potential sources of bias. | |
| 10 | Study size. Explain how the study size was arrived at. | |
| 11 | Quantitative variables. Explain how quantitative variables were handled in the analyses, including which groupings were chosen and why. | |
| 12a | Statistical methods. Describe all statistical methods, including those used to control for confounding. | |
| 12b | Statistical methods. Describe the methods used to examine subgroups and interactions. | |
| 12c | Statistical methods. Explain how missing data were handled. | |
| 12d | Statistical methods. If relevant, describe analytical methods that take account of the sampling strategy. | |
| 12e | Statistical methods. Describe any sensitivity analyses. | |
| Results | ||
| 13a | Participants. Report the numbers at each stage: potentially eligible, examined for eligibility, confirmed eligible, included, completing follow-up, and analysed. | |
| 13b | Participants. Give the reasons for non-participation at each stage. | |
| 13c | Participants. Consider a flow diagram. | |
| 14a | Descriptive data. Give the characteristics of the participants (demographic, clinical, social) and information on exposures and potential confounders. | |
| 14b | Descriptive data. Give the number of participants with missing data for each variable of interest. | |
| 15 | Outcome data. Report the numbers of outcome events or summary measures. | |
| 16a | Main results. Give unadjusted estimates and, where applicable, confounder-adjusted estimates with their precision (for example, 95% confidence intervals); say which confounders were adjusted for and why. | |
| 16b | Main results. Report the category boundaries when continuous variables were categorised. | |
| 16c | Main results. If relevant, consider translating relative risks into absolute risks for a meaningful time period. | |
| 17 | Other analyses. Report the other analyses done, such as subgroups, interactions and sensitivity analyses. | |
| Discussion | ||
| 18 | Key results. Summarise the key results with reference to the study objectives. | |
| 19 | Limitations. Discuss the limitations, including sources of potential bias or imprecision, and the direction and size of any likely bias. | |
| 20 | Interpretation. Give a cautious overall interpretation, considering the objectives, limitations, multiple analyses, similar studies and other relevant evidence. | |
| 21 | Generalisability. Discuss the generalisability (external validity) of the results. | |
| Other information | ||
| 22 | Funding. Give the source of funding and the role of the funders for this study and, if applicable, for the original study on which it is based. | |
Item wording paraphrased from the STROBE Statement (von Elm et al., 2007). Your page numbers stay in this browser.
What each item asks for, with examples, is in the STROBE checklist guide. To fill it in by hand instead, use the checklist below the pre-fill tool.
Questions
Which STROBE checklist do I need?
The one for your design: cohort, case-control or cross-sectional. Most items are shared; items 6, 12d, 14c and 15 differ by design. Pick the design above and the checklist changes with it.
Does a match mean the item is reported well?
No. A match shows where the wording is, so you can check it and fill in the page number. "Not found" means none of the usual wording was seen; the item may be there in other words.
Is my manuscript stored?
No. It is read by fixed rules, not an AI model, and not kept.