In this section: General guidance | Lists within paragraphs | Bulleted and ordered lists
General guidance
There are different ways of formatting lists. The choice of format should be based on the clearest way to display the information.
Lists may form parts of sentences within paragraphs, or different levels within a list may be differentiated using bullet points (bulleted lists), or numbers with or without letters (ordered lists).
In general, the choice of formatting (i.e. bulleted or ordered lists) and numbering should be consistent within a single document.
Occasionally, a mixture of ordered and bulleted lists can be used in a review, with ordered lists used to present items according to their priority or sequence, and bulleted lists used for items where the order of presentation is unimportant. However, the purpose of the numbered points must be made clear in the text that precedes the ordered lists.
Lists within paragraphs
Guidance | Example |
Separate each item with a comma. Note: the comma or semicolon before the 'and' is optional (see Punctuation). | Risk factors include a previous history of macrosomia, maternal obesity, maternal weight gain during pregnancy, multiparity, and male fetus. |
In complex sentences, such as those including several long phrases, introduce the list with a colon and separate each item with a semicolon. Each item in the list should make sense, as though it immediately followed the introductory phrase. | The conference included several topics: preparing a protocol; searching databases and trial registers; and drafting a Methods section. |
Bulleted and ordered lists
Bulleted and ordered lists, in which each item is displayed on a separate line, can be set out in a number of ways. Bulleted and ordered lists can go to three levels within a single list (nested lists), as shown below. Nested lists can be constructed using the indent buttons in Review Manager (RevMan) to adjust the level of list items. Do not attempt to format the list by using spaces to indent the items because the formatting will change during the publication process and the published result may look unsatisfactory. The 'and' before the final item in the list is optional (see Punctuation).
Guidance | Example |
Platform phrase and list items are a single sentence
| The programme aims to help you:
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The programme aims to help you:
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Platform phrase with a full stop before starting the list
| The programme aims to help you with the following.
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The programme aims to help you with the following.
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Independent list with no platform phrase Only use full stops for full sentences. Nested lists can be constructed using the indent buttons in RevMan to adjust the level of list items. |
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Secondary outcomes
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Secondary outcomes
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| When a list does not form a proper sentence either write it as a proper sentence, or as a numbered/bulleted list without punctuation. Choose the most appropriate structure for each instance, aiming for consistency where possible. | Control group: this could include placebo or sham acupuncture; other sham procedure (e.g. sham TENS); no specific treatment; other active treatment (RCTs using different active treatment comparators were analyzed separately); or other treatment alone (compared with acupuncture as an addition to the other treatment).
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