Reporting laboratory experiments

Abstract

Scientific studies exhibit a growing number of advanced designs and techniques. The multiplicity and diversity complicates critical evaluation of observed data, statistical analysis, presented results and conclusions drawn. Several reporting guidelines have therefore been developed to promote transparency in research, like Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (http://www.icmje.org), the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Clinical Trials (CONSORT) statement (http://www. consort-statement.org), Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) (http:// www.strobe-statement.org), etc. However, these reporting guidelines mainly concern clinical or epidemiological studies. Laboratory experiments are, unfortunately, often inadequately reported. A systematic review of 44 animal studies on fluid resuscitation shows, for example, that only two of the reviewed papers described how experimental units were allocated to treatment. Without this information critical assessments of the presented results’ validity cannot be made. Inadequate reporting thus devaluates the efforts and resources spent on the experiment by the researchers and on the publication of the report by editors, reviewers and readers. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage has decided to revise its information for authors and include a section with guidelines for reporting of laboratory experiments. This is a presentation of these guidelines.