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Table 1 Scope of Trials

From: Lead editorial: Trials – using the opportunities of electronic publishing to improve the reporting of randomised trials

Articles about a specific randomised trial

   Complete trial protocol

   (An accompanying discussion of why the trial was designed the way it was is encouraged)

   First report of trial findings

   Expanded report of trial findings after a shorter version has appeared in another peer-reviewed, paper-based journal

   Secondary analyses (e.g. health economic analyses, harms and other non-primary outcomes, sensitivity analyses)

   Discussion of specific issues of the trial design

   Description of particular aspects of the trial conduct, such as data collection, choice or measurement of outcomes, training of observers, data handling, organisational issues, etc

   Lessons learned: "What we would do differently knowing what we know now"

   Critical commentary on a trial report published elsewhere

Articles about randomised trials in general

   Issues related to the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, reporting or publication of randomised trials

   Reviews of published articles describing randomised trials, relating to one or more of trial design, organisation, conduct, analysis, reporting, and interpretation

   Issues relating to assessing outcomes, especially efforts to standardise outcomes in a particular medical field

Commentaries

   Commentary to accompany articles published in Trials (usually commissioned)

   Discussion of issues relating to randomised trials, especially topical matters