Study-to-report linkage worksheet
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StatMedAnalysis | Downloadable worksheet | 5 November 2026

Group related publications without counting an underlying study twice.

Working instructions
Assign each candidate report a report ID. Compare registration number, dates,
recruitment sites, arms and sample descriptions in pairs. Preserve uncertain
links and disagreements. After linking, choose the source for each outcome and
time point separately.

Working record
Save a local copy. Use public, hypothetical or aggregate information.
Project code ____________________   Prepared on ____________________

Provisional study ID
___________________________________________________________________

Report ID and source locator
___________________________________________________________________

Trial identifier and registration date
___________________________________________________________________

Sites and overlapping recruitment window
___________________________________________________________________

Intervention arms and sample-size clues
___________________________________________________________________

Contradictory linkage evidence
___________________________________________________________________

Link status, reviewer and reason
___________________________________________________________________

Outcome/time point and chosen source
___________________________________________________________________

Hypothetical worked case
Two fictional papers share a registry ID and two trial arms. An early report
includes 60 participants and a later report includes 90. Check whether the
former is an interim report before using the final outcome denominator.

Decision and follow-up
Mark a definite family only when the evidence is sufficient to explain material
discrepancies. Route unresolved pairs to a second reviewer. Preserve reports
that add adverse-event or follow-up information even when they describe the
same study.

Decision _______________________   Date ___________________________
Evidence retained at _____________________________________________
Next action ____________________   Owner __________________________

Official reference checked 5 November 2026
https://www.cochrane.org/authors/handbooks-and-manuals/handbook/current/chapter-04