Detailed, accessible methods are essential for reproducibility, trust in science and scientific advancement; yet, many studies suggest that the reporting of methodological details in life sciences research publications is often incomplete. This may be due to a lack of incentives or reporting standards, or other cultural or educational factors. Promoting Reusable and Open Methods and Protocols (PRO-MaP) aims to increase and improve the reporting of detailed, reusable and open methods and reusable step-by-step protocols in the life sciences. This initiative began with a workshop convened by the EU Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, which included representatives from various stakeholder groups. Our draft recommendations outline actions that four stakeholder groups, researchers, research institutions and departments, publishers and editors, and funders, can take to achieve these goals. While some recommendations address study design and reporting guidelines, the primary focus is on capturing clear, accurate, methodological detail, e.g. with re-usable step-by-step protocols. We welcome feedback on these draft recommendations from members of each stakeholder group, including experts in improving methodological reporting. The final recommendations will be released after incorporating feedback received during consultation sessions. Once the recommendations are finalized, we hope that organizations and individuals from each stakeholder group will join us in collaboratively working to improve the reporting of detailed methods and reusable step-by-step protocols in the life sciences.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.