While the power of modern microscopy techniques is undeniable, rigorous record-keeping and quality control are required to ensure that imaging data may be properly interpreted (quality), reproduced (reproducibility), and used to extract reliable information and scientific knowledge which can be shared for further analysis (value). In the absence of agreed guidelines, it is inherently difficult for scientists to create comprehensive records of imaging experiments and ensure the quality of resulting image data or for manufacturers to incorporate standardized reporting and performance metrics. To solve this problem, the 4D Nucleome (4DN) Initiative and BioImaging North America (BINA) here propose light Microscopy Metadata specifications that scale with experimental intent and with the complexity of the instrumentation and analytical requirements. They consist of a set of three extensions of the Open Microscopy Environment (OME) Data Model, and because of their tiered nature they clearly specify which provenance and quality control metadata should be recorded for a given experiment. This endeavor is closely aligned with the undertakings of the recently established QUAlity Assessment and REProducibility in Light Microscopy (QUAREP-LiMi; quarep.org) global community initiative. As a result, the ensuing flexible 4DN-BINA-OME (NBO) framework represents a turning point towards increasing data fidelity, improving repeatability and reproducibility, easing future analysis, and facilitating the verifiable comparison of different datasets, experimental setups, and assays. The intention of this proposal is to encourage participation, critiques, and contributions from all imaging community stakeholders, including research and imaging scientists, facility personnel, instrument manufacturers, software developers, standards organizations, scientific publishers, and funders.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract