Reporting Experiments in Homeopathic Basic Research—Description of the Checklist Development

Table 1

Items to be included when reporting experiments in REHBaR.

Item	No.	Descriptor
Title	1	Title indicates the experimental model and intervention
Abstract	2	Abstract provides an informative and balanced summary of what was done and found
Introduction
Background	3	Scientific background, presentation of experimental model(s). explanation of rationale, including homeopathic principles (e.g., similia principle, potentization, proving) and type of homeopathy (isopathy, classical versus complex homeopathy)
Objectives/Hypotheses	4	Objectives and hypotheses with outcome measures. For confirmatory experiments: specific hypotheses and clearly defined primary outcome measure. For exploratory experiments: hypotheses inducing the investigations
Materials and methods
Materials	5	Detailed description of all used materials (e.g., biological system, devices, substances, instruments)
Materials (homeopathy specific)	6	Manufacturer, pharmacopoeia (or process) of medications, potency and steps of dilution, dilution method, substance starting point of dilution (e.g., mother tincture. D1, nosode)
Homeopathic controls	7	Precise details on the preparation of the control substance
System performance controls	8	Report on negative and positive controls
Quality control	9	Procedures and efforts used to enhance the quality and reliability of the experimental procedure
Object of investigation	10	Selection criteria for the particular system used: in vivo, in vitro, biological, physical, biochemical
Experimental setup	11	Detailed description of experimental conditions and procedure
Replication	21	If experiment has internal replications, detailed description is given of which materials were reused and which have been changed
Parameters	13	All measured parameters described in detail
Intervention	14	Precise details of the interventions intended for each group and how and when they were actually administered
Allocation	15	Method used to generate the group allocation including details (e.g., randomization, blocking, stratification)
Blinding	16	Description if any procedures or interventions were concealed (if yes, details given)
Statistical methods	17	Statistical tests and procedure of calculation are described: Methods for additional analyses like adjusted analyses
Results
Numbers analysed	18	Number of experiments with exact number of treated units per setting which were included in each analysis and reporting missing samples, drop outs
Data (descriptive)	19	Results are given in tables or figures showing mean or median together with variability (e.g., SD and/or range) for absolute data (and differences)
Data (inferential)	20	Gives appropriate measures of effect size uncertainty and probability
Discussion
Interpretation	21	Interpretation of the results, taking into account study hypotheses, sources of potential bias or imprecision
Evidence	22	General interpretation of results in the context of current evidence. Discuss the generalizability/external validity of the study results
Experimental model	23	Explanation why this model, these parameters were chosen and its adequacy for answering the questions including homeopathic aspects