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.
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
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.
Practical Application
Include the study design in the title when the applicable reporting guideline or journal requires it, and when naming the design helps readers retrieve and interpret the work accurately.
Purpose
Help readers and search systems identify the design immediately and reduce ambiguity about what kind of evidence the article reports.
Reader Check
Does the design label accurately describe the study and follow the target journal or guideline rather than being added as promotional wording?
Worked Example
Example: “Remote Coaching for Medication Adherence: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” If the design is not randomized, do not use that label simply because it sounds more authoritative.
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.
- 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