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Synopsis

Key principles

  • The main body of the synopsis report should not be more than 15,000 words. This limit includes all text,text within tables, and text within figures and boxes which are contained within the main body of the report. Please note that your report will not proceed to peer review if it is over this limit. The limit does NOT include the Abstract and Plain English Summary (which continue to have their own individual word limits). It also excludes the table of contents, references, appendices, supplementary material and additional information (CRediT statement, Data sharing statement, Ethics statement, Information Governance Statement).
  • The purpose of the synopsis is to provide a complete high-level summary of the research, providing all the relevant summarised data and evidence to support its conclusions against the overarching research questions and objectives.
  • This format pulls together the different research articles either published through the NIHR Journals Library or another publisher, that cover all aspects of the funded work set out in the Publication Plan, whilst being an academic publication in its own right.
  • There should be enough detail in the synopsis report to support the reader's understanding of the main conclusion(s) as a standalone publication, without the need to look at the other reported components.
  • Within the main body of the synopsis report, authors have the flexibility to include a narrative that captures a critical and reflective discussion of any work that would not have been reported within the standalone research articles.
  • Details of each element of the study/ work package should be summarised in an appendix, briefly summarising research aims, methods for data collection and analysis, limitations, key findings, and interrelationships with the other parts of the award.
  • Summary tables, boxes or figures should be included only if they help to ensure that key points in the synopsis are clear. More detailed information (e.g., protocols, tools, details of interventions, consent processes, and detailed figures, boxes and tables) should be presented as appendices rather than breaking the flow of the text in the synopsis.  
  • Please use DOI or URL links in each of the sub-sections to direct readers to relevant papers you have published. 
  • There are some mandatory headings to ensure that quality metadata can be applied to the synopsis to aid search and discoverability.
  • Once all articles for an award have been published, they will be collected, as a single issue of the journal, when the synopsis is published.

In the sections that follow, we have provided hyperlinks to the relevant manuscript preparation guidance in the Information for Authors, where this might be helpful. 

Where relevant, do also follow the appropriate reporting guidelines for your study type. A comprehensive list of available reporting guidelines, listed by study type, can be found on the EQUATOR Network website. 

All Synopses should include:

 

Headings

Word limits/Indicative amounts

Description

 

Title

 n/a
  • Title 
  • Author list 
  • Affiliations 
  • Review history (date received and accepted)
 

 Abstract

 500 words maximum
 

Contents list

  n/a



 

Plain Language Summary

 300

Glossary

n/a
  • If required, abbreviations 
Main body       

Introduction

  25% of main body count
  • Rationale for research and background 
  • Objectives 
  • Methods for data collection and analysis (linking to Study Protocol). Include a diagram of your research pathway showing how each element of your research links to another  
  • Results summary 
  • Include a box citing the research papers that are being synthesised in the synopsis 

Discussion/Interpretation

  25% of main body count

Proposed themes for the discussion narrative:  

  • Principal findings and achievements per project outcome
  • Contribution to existing knowledge. Draw together the findings and show how your work contributes
  • Strengths and weakness of the study/in relation to other studies
  • Take-home message(s)  
  • Reflections on the project and what could have been done differently. Describe major/ significant changes  
  • Challenges faced and limitations
  • Engagement with Partners and Stakeholders  
  • Individual training and capacity-strengthening activities   
  • Institutional Capacity Strengthening. 

Patient and Public Involvement

  5% of main body count
  • Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) or Community Engagement, and Involvement (CEI)  
  • Dissemination to participants and related patient and public communities: to include information on dissemination plan 
  • See our reporting patient and public involvement page for more information

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

  5% of main body count
  • Language and Terminology
  • Consideration of the disease burden, epidemiology, presentation and outcomes the population groups and any differences in the application of existing preventative, screening or diagnostic strategies and treatments.
  • Generalisability and transferability of evidence
  • Participant representation
  • Enrol and retain diverse participants
  • Participant data
  • Reflections on your research team and wider involvement
  • See our reporting equality diversity and inclusion page for more information

Impact and Learning

  15% of main body count
  • What difference has been made already?
  • What longer term impact might there be? e.g. economy, efficiency, effectiveness, equity and environmental impact
  • Lessons learnt for future research  
  • Related work e.g., things not directly funded by NIHR, but arising from this study 
  • (If appropriate) Real-world impact/Potential impact  
  • Collaborations /further funding/future work
  • What are your aspirational/pre-planned dissemination or discussions to ensure the outcomes of the research are taken forward for implementation by your key stakeholders, partners and target audiences/groups?
  • Reporting on Climate, Health and Sustainability 

Implications for decision makers

  10% of main body count

Research recommendations

  10% of main body count
  • Three to five recommendations of priority areas for future research, which could inform future funding calls 

Conclusions

  5% of main body count
  • Headline summary of findings and their implications 
 

Additional Information

  n/a
  • Disclosure of interest statement
  • Contribution of authors / CRediT and acknowledgements 
  • Patient data statement (if required) 
  • Data-sharing statement 
  • Ethics statement 
  • Information Governance statement 
  • Full list of publications, conference papers, seminars etc resulting from this study 
  • See our additional information page for more information
 

References

 n/a
 

Appendices

 n/a
 

Supplementary material

 n/a

 

The Funding and Awards website award pages are an opportunity to host additional material that has been used and or created during the lifetime of the research award. Hosting these documents on the award webpage to form part of a thread of the research enables transparency and reproducibility.

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