Participant Flow Section
STROBE and CONSORT both emphasize transparent accounting of participants across study stages; CONSORT 2025 specifically retains structured participant-flow reporting for randomized trials. The exact stages and whether a flow diagram is expected depend on study design and reporting standard. CONSORT applies to randomized trials and STROBE to observational studies; neither should be presented as a universal diagram requirement.
A Participant Flow section shows how many participants moved through major study stages and records important exclusions, losses, or non-participation so the analyzed sample can be traced.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
The exact stages and whether a flow diagram is expected depend on study design and reporting standard. CONSORT applies to randomized trials and STROBE to observational studies; neither should be presented as a universal diagram requirement.
Further guidance
Content
Report design-appropriate counts across stages such as assessed, eligible, enrolled or included, allocated when relevant, followed up, and analyzed, with reasons for important exclusions or losses when available.
Purpose
A Participant Flow section shows how many participants moved through major study stages and records important exclusions, losses, or non-participation so the analyzed sample can be traced.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE): Explanation and Elaboration (opens in a new tab)PLOS Medicine / STROBE Initiative · Primary reporting-guideline evidence for observational-study setting, study size, bias, participant flow, and statistical handling including missing data and confounding.
- CONSORT 2025 statement: updated guideline for reporting randomised trials (opens in a new tab)BMJ / CONSORT Group · Primary 2025 CONSORT reporting guideline for randomized trials, including participant flow and trial-registration information.