Table 5 Kirsty Pet Peeves

• Not reading guidance for SPIRIT items

• If non-English speaker, not getting article copy-edited

• If using the SPIRIT Checklist, putting in a page number but there is no information on this item at that page number or anywhere else in the protocol, not just slippage

• Putting in “not applicable” in SPIRIT Checklist or template without an explanation for why N/A

• Not clearly stating the sponsor of the trial

• Not declaring the role of the funding body in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data and in writing the manuscript

• Not explaining the framework used for the trial (e.g. superiority, equivalence, noninferiority, exploratory)

• Not offering to share anonymised trial data without prompting

• Not stating that the protocol in the public clinical trial registry will be updated if amended

• Not giving a date when it is anticipated the trial recruitment will finish

• If using Trials structured template, changing the order of the SPIRIT items

• If using Trials structured template, missing out SPIRIT items

• If using Trials structured template, missing out headings

• If using Trials structured template, duplicate information, so under more than one item and not edited—suggesting authors copy and pasting protocol that has already been written into the template

• If using Trials structured template, refers to information under another item instead of inserting it in the correct item