Table 2 Abstracts of RCTs published in top-50 journals in the ‘Medicine, General and Internal’ category during July–December 2015 - Frequency of structure formats and relevant editorial policiesa by journal (n = 370)
No. | Journal | N of RCTs identified (%) | Structure format used (%) | Structure format required | Specific instructions for each heading | Word limit | CONSORT for Abstracts endorsement | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unstructured (n = 46) | IMRaD (n = 215) | HS (n = 109) | |||||||
1 | New England Journal of Medicine | 73 (19.7) | 0 (0.0) | 73 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
2 | The Lancet | 53 (14.3) | 0 (0.0) | 53 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | Yes | 300 | Required |
3 | JAMA - Journal of American Medical Association | 38 (10.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 38 (100.0) | HS | Yes | 350 | Not mentioned |
4 | Annals of Internal Medicine | 7 (1.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (100.0) | HS | No | 275 | Not mentioned |
5 | BMJ - British Medical Journal | 8 (2.2) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (50.0) | 4 (50.0) | HS | Yes | 400 | Required |
6 | PLOS Medicine | 4 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | Yes | No limit | Not mentioned |
7 | JAMA Internal Medicine | 7 (1.9) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (100.0) | HS | Yes | 350 | Not mentioned |
8 | BMC Medicine | 6 (1.6) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | Yes | 350 | Recommended |
9 | Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | No | 400 | Not mentioned |
10 | Mayo Clinic Proceedings | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
11 | Journal of Internal Medicine | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (100.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
12 | Canadian Medical Association Journal | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | Yes | 250 | Not mentioned |
13 | Medicine (Baltimore) | 42 (11.4) | 42 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | Not specified | – | 350 | Not mentioned |
14 | Annals of Family Medicine | 4 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
15 | Translational Research | 2 (0.5) | 2 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | Unstructured | – | 250 | Not mentioned |
16 | American Journal of Medicine | 6 (1.6) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
17 | American Journal of Preventive Medicine | 11 (3.0) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (36.4) | 7 (63.6) | HS | No | 300 | Not mentioned |
18 | Medical Journal of Australia | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (100.0) | HS | Yes | 250 | Not mentioned |
19 | Annals of Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | No | 200 | Not mentioned |
20 | Deutsches Arzteblatt International | 5 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 200 | Not mentioned |
21 | Journal of General Internal Medicine | 12 (3.2) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (33.3) | 8 (66.7) | HS | No | 300 | Not mentioned |
22 | Preventive Medicine | 8 (2.2) | 0 (0.0) | 7 (87.5) | 1 (12.5) | Unstructured | – | 250 | Not mentioned |
23 | European Journal of Internal Medicine | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | Not specified | – | 250 | Not mentioned |
24 | Palliative Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | HS | Yes | Not specified | Not mentioned |
25 | Journal of Pain and Symptom Management | 4 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
26 | American Journal of Chinese Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | Unstructured | – | 250 | Not mentioned |
27 | European Journal of Clinical Investigation | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
28 | Current Medical Research and Opinion | 10 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 8 (80.0) | 2 (20.0) | HS | Yes | 300 | Not mentioned |
29 | Internal and Emergency Medicine | 1 (0.3) | 1 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | Not specified | – | 250 | Not mentioned |
30 | International Journal of Clinical Practice | 5 (1.4) | 1 (20.0) | 4 (80.0) | 0 (0.0) | Not specified | – | Not specified | Not mentioned |
31 | QJM - An International Journal of Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | HS | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
32 | Pain Medicine | 10 (2.7) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (50.0) | 5 (50.0) | HS | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
33 | Journal of Hospital Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | HS | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
34 | British Journal of General Practice | 3 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (100.0) | HS | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
35 | BMJ Open | 21 (5.7) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (9.5) | 19 (90.5) | HS | Yes | 300 | Recommended |
36 | American Journal of Managed Care | 5 (1.4) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 5 (100.0) | HS | Yes | 250 | Not mentioned |
37 | Polish Archives of Internal Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
38 | Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | HS | No | 300 | Not mentioned |
39 | Swiss Medical Weekly | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | No | 600 | Not mentioned |
40 | Journal of Women’s Health | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
41 | Archives of Medical Science | 3 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
42 | AMYLOID - Journal of Protein Folding Disorders | 0 (0) | – | – | – | Not specified | – | 200 | Not mentioned |
43 | International Journal of Medical Sciences | 4 (1.1) | 0 (0.0) | 4 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | Not specified | – | Not specified | Not mentioned |
44 | Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine | 3 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | Not specified | Not mentioned |
45 | Upsala Journal of Medical Sciences | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | No | 250 | Not mentioned |
46 | Netherlands Journal of Medicine | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | Yes | 250 | Not mentioned |
47 | Journal of the Formosan Medical Association | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | Yes | 250 | Not mentioned |
48 | Journal of Urban Health | 0 (0) | – | – | – | Unstructured | – | Not specified | Not mentioned |
49 | Family Practice | 0 (0) | – | – | – | IMRaD | No | Not specified | Not mentioned |
50 | Postgraduate Medicine | 3 (0.8) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (100.0) | 0 (0.0) | IMRaD | No | 300 | Not mentioned |