Table 3 Summary outcomes from the two cohorts

No. of manuscripts included in analysis

300

290

− 11

–

No. with applicable reporting guidelines

224 (75%)

217 (75%)

0.2%

0.96

Correct reporting guideline identified

70 (31%)

86 (40%)

8.4%

<0.0001

Identified the incorrect reporting guideline

7 (3.1%)

3 (1.4%)

− 1.7%

0.10

Incorrectly stated that none are relevant

82 (37%)

49 (23%)

− 14%

<0.0001

Correctly stated that relevant reporting guidelines exist, but not which

65 (29%)

79 (36%)

7.4%

0.04

No. without applicable reporting guidelines

76 (25%)

73 (25%)

− 0.2%

0.96

Correctly stated none relevant

50 (66%)

47 (64%)

− 1.4%

0.65

Incorrectly stated that relevant reporting guidelines exist, but not which

26 (34%)

26 (36%)

1.4%

0.48