For authors
Use the checklist when planning and reporting a manuscript to ensure that critical design, laboratory, computational, and statistical details are described.
A STROBE extension
Transparent reporting for metabolomic epidemiology.
STROBE-MetEpi provides a structured checklist for reporting observational studies that use metabolomic profiling in human populations, from study design and biospecimen handling to statistical analysis, biological interpretation, and data sharing.
Why STROBE-MetEpi?
Metabolomic epidemiology has expanded rapidly, but published studies often provide insufficient detail for readers, reviewers, and editors to assess the study design, biospecimen handling, analytical workflows, sources of bias, robustness of findings, and reproducibility. STROBE-MetEpi was developed to improve completeness and transparency in the reporting of this interdisciplinary field.
For reviewers
Use the checklist to assess whether the report contains enough information to appraise validity, reproducibility, interpretation, and generalisability.
For editors
Encourage authors to submit a completed STROBE-MetEpi checklist as supplementary material alongside relevant observational metabolomics manuscripts.
Scope and intended use
STROBE-MetEpi is a reporting guideline, not a manual for how to conduct a study. It is intended for observational studies in human populations using high-dimensional metabolomic profiling, including exploratory metabolome-wide analyses and hypothesis-driven or replication studies.
Studies addressed
- Cohort studies
- Case-control studies
- Nested case-control and case-cohort studies
- Cross-sectional studies
Technologies addressed
- Mass spectrometry-based profiling
- Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- Targeted and untargeted metabolomic approaches
- Annotated and unannotated metabolite features
Not primarily addressed
- Randomized controlled trials
- Systematic reviews
- Laboratory reliability or feasibility studies
- Methodological development studies
- Multi-omics studies requiring integrated reporting guidance
From biospecimens to biological interpretation
The checklist follows the typical flow of a metabolomic epidemiology study and makes visible the decisions that are often implicit or underreported.
Study design
Setting, eligibility, covariates, participant selection.
Specimen collection and storage
Sample type, timing, conditions, storage and handling.
Metabolite measurement
MS or NMR instrumentation, analytical method, acquisition.
Data processing and annotation
Software, parameters, metabolite identification, QA/QC.
Statistical analysis
Models, missing data, multiple testing, validation.
Biological interpretation
Pathway analysis, uncertainty, generalisability and limitations.
The STROBE-MetEpi checklist
The table below provides a concise website view of the main checklist domains. The full checklist should be used when preparing, reviewing, or editing a manuscript.
| Section | Items | What should be reported |
|---|---|---|
| Title / Abstract | 1 | Identify the work as metabolomic epidemiology; state design, analytical technology, biospecimen, and study size. |
| Introduction | 2–3 | Explain the scientific background, rationale for metabolomic data, objectives, and whether the study is exploratory, hypothesis-driven, or a replication effort. |
| Methods | 4–18 | Report study design, setting, participants, sample collection, storage, pre-analytical processing, instrumentation, data processing, identification or annotation, QA/QC, transformation and scaling, missing data, statistical modelling, false-positive control, validation, and pathway analyses. |
| Results | 19–24 | Report participant flow, exclusions, metabolite counts and annotation status, descriptive data, single-metabolite results, multiple-metabolite models, validation statistics, and pathway or metabolite-set enrichment results. |
| Discussion | 25–28 | Summarise key results, discuss limitations and sources of bias, interpret findings cautiously, and address generalisability. |
| Other information | 29–31 | Describe funding, conflicts of interest, metabolomic data availability, and code sharing. |
Recommended use: authors should submit a completed checklist as supplementary material and indicate where each relevant item is addressed in the manuscript.
Resources
The STROBE-MetEpi website should make the checklist easy to download, explain the rationale for each item, and provide examples of transparent reporting.
STROBE-MetEpi Statement
Overview paper introducing the reporting guideline and the 31-item checklist.
E & E
Detailed rationale, explanations, and published examples for each checklist item. The E & E is presented as a single integrated resource.
Checklist template
A fillable checklist for authors to complete and submit with manuscripts.
Examples library
Examples of clear reporting for biospecimen handling, instrumentation, metabolite annotation, QA/QC, statistical analysis, and interpretation.
Community feedback and updates
Metabolomic epidemiology is evolving quickly. STROBE-MetEpi should therefore be maintained as a living community resource, with feedback from authors, reviewers, editors, metabolomics specialists, epidemiologists, statisticians, and readers.
Submit feedback
Invite comments on checklist wording, missing items, and field-specific challenges.
Journal endorsement
Provide guidance for journals wishing to recommend or require the checklist.
Updates
Track revisions, translations, publications, and implementation resources.