Submission Preflight

Find the route. Inspect the file.

Journal manuscript guide

Choose the guideline profile that matches the study you report.

Start with the study design and the official guideline. The profile-selection step creates a narrow signal-check route. It does not replace the complete guideline, an extension, or a journal’s instructions.

Submission Preflight EditorialUpdated August 20, 2026

Sources reviewed: PRISMA 2020, CONSORT 2025, STROBE checklists, and ARRIVE 2.0.

Start with the manuscript’s study design

A reporting guideline is selected because of what the manuscript reports, not because a journal name appears on the target list. Confirm the study design with the research team, then open the current official guideline before choosing a profile.

The four available profiles

PRISMA 2020 systematic review

Select PRISMA 2020 for a systematic review. Review the official PRISMA materials to determine whether a relevant extension or the target journal’s instructions also apply.

Select PRISMA 2020

CONSORT 2025 randomized trial

Select CONSORT 2025 for a randomized trial. The published statements page identifies the current statement material and related resources to review alongside the manuscript.

Select CONSORT 2025

STROBE observational study

Select STROBE for an observational study. Use the official checklist that matches the study type, including cohort, case-control, or cross-sectional reporting.

Select STROBE

ARRIVE 2.0 animal research

Select ARRIVE 2.0 for animal research. Read the official guidance and any current journal-specific requirements before the file enters the submission workflow.

Select ARRIVE 2.0

When an extension or journal instruction still applies

Extensions, funder requirements, registry material, and journal instructions can add requirements beyond a selected profile. Treat the profile as a route to a focused signal check, then review the current official material that applies to the specific study and destination.

Use the signal report as a review cue

The Reporting Guideline Signal Check screens for observable reporting signals in PDF, DOCX, and TXT files. If a signal was not detected, review that area in the manuscript and the official guideline. A detected signal does not prove completeness, correctness, compliance, study quality, or acceptance.

View the Reporting Guideline Signal Check

This guide and the signal check do not assess plagiarism or AI writing. Editorial and journal decisions remain with the receiving journal.