What Is a STROBE Checklist?
Looking for the full method? Read the detailed guide: How to Select the Right Study Design.
STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) is a reporting guideline with checklists for cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies. It lists items that should appear in the title, abstract, introduction, methods, results and discussion.
Example
A cohort study following STROBE reports how participants were selected, how exposures and outcomes were defined, how confounding and missing data were handled and what the main limitations were.
Common misunderstanding
STROBE is not a quality score and does not make an observational study causal. Use the official checklist for your design, and cite it in your methods.
Learn more
See How to Select the Right Study Design.
References and further reading
- von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, et al. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. BMJ. 2007;335:806-808. doi:10.1136/bmj.39335.541782.AD
- EQUATOR Network: Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (reporting guideline library). Link
Related reading
This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.