Journal article reporting standards for quantitative research in psychology: The APA Publications and Communications Board task force report.

TLDR

The report introduces new reporting standards that reorganize hypotheses, analyses, and conclusions into primary, secondary, and exploratory categories, revise meta‑analysis guidance, and add modules for observational, clinical, longitudinal, replication, and N‑of‑1 studies, as well as for structural equation and Bayesian analyses. The Working Group’s proposals were approved by the APA Publications and Communications Board and replace the 6th‑edition Publication Manual standards. PsycINFO Database Record.

Abstract

Following a review of extant reporting standards for scientific publication, and reviewing 10 years of experience since publication of the first set of reporting standards by the American Psychological Association (APA; APA Publications and Communications Board Working Group on Journal Article Reporting Standards, 2008), the APA Working Group on Quantitative Research Reporting Standards recommended some modifications to the original standards. Examples of modifications include division of hypotheses, analyses, and conclusions into 3 groupings (primary, secondary, and exploratory) and some changes to the section on meta-analysis. Several new modules are included that report standards for observational studies, clinical trials, longitudinal studies, replication studies, and N-of-1 studies. In addition, standards for analytic methods with unique characteristics and output (structural equation modeling and Bayesian analysis) are included. These proposals were accepted by the Publications and Communications Board of APA and supersede the standards included in the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2010). (PsycINFO Database Record