Apply STROBE to a winter-health cohort manuscript by building a completeness matrix that maps each checklist item to a manuscript location and flags items that are absent or vague; treat the result as a reporting measure only. The STROBE Statement provides reporting checklists for cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional observational studies, and it assesses reporting completeness, not study quality.
Build the matrix
- Create a table with one row per STROBE cohort item and columns for item number, item text, manuscript location (section and paragraph or line), status (present, vague, or absent), and the specific text that satisfies the item. Record the location as you read, so each status traces to a passage.
- Read the manuscript section by section and fill the location column. Mark an item present when a passage states what the item asks; mark it vague when the passage touches the topic without the required detail; mark it absent when no passage addresses it. The expected result is a row-level record of where each item is reported.
- Review the vague and absent rows and note the concrete detail each one needs, such as a stated eligibility criterion or a described handling of missing data. Use these notes to plan revisions; the matrix itself stays a reporting record.
Keep the measure scoped
Label the output as a STROBE reporting-completeness matrix. A high count of present items shows that the manuscript reports the checklist elements; it does not score the cohort's design, conduct, or validity. Keep quality appraisal in a separate document so the two measures are not conflated.
If the manuscript sits inside a systematic review, PRISMA 2020 covers the review's own reporting through its checklist and flow diagrams, which describe why the review was done, what methods were used, and what studies were found and included. Use the STROBE matrix for the cohort manuscript and PRISMA 2020 for the review report.