How should editors use the EQUATOR network when evaluating manuscripts?

At the Trailhead

• Why this matters: Reporting guidelines are widely recommended, but editors must decide how strictly to apply them and how to avoid turning them into box-ticking exercises.
• What judgment this supports: When to require reporting guidelines, whether to desk reject manuscripts that do not use them appropriately, and how to balance checklist compliance with editorial judgment.
• How an editor might use this: To revise author instructions, incorporate checklist requirements into submission workflows, strengthen editorial triage, or guide decision letters when reporting standards are not met.