Writing & StyleStyle guide

Study Design in Article Title

Include the study design in the article title when the relevant reporting guideline or journal requires it and when it improves accurate retrieval and interpretation. Do not add a design label that the study does not actually satisfy. Title wording and punctuation remain subject to journal-specific style and length limits.

Quick answer

Include the study design in the article title when the relevant reporting guideline or journal requires it and when it improves accurate retrieval and interpretation.

Key details

Core IssueICMJE notes that reporting guidelines recommend, and some journals require, study-design information in article titles, especially for randomized trials and systematic reviews/meta-analyses.
Registerscholarly, professional, or research/report writing

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

Do not add a design label that the study does not actually satisfy. Title wording and punctuation remain subject to journal-specific style and length limits.

Further guidance

Content

Name the design precisely and concisely in the title when applicable, using the terminology required by the reporting guideline or journal.

Purpose

Help readers and search systems identify the design immediately and reduce ambiguity about what kind of evidence the article reports.

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.

  1. Preparing a Manuscript for Submission to a Medical Journal — ICMJE (opens in a new tab)International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) · ICMJE manuscript-submission guidance on reporting sources of support/funding that facilitated the work

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