Springer Protocols and Wiley Current Protocols

Abstract

Perhaps the most valuable resource in a research lab is the battered, chemically stained, and much used binder chock full of protocols. Protocols are practical methods that describe the design and implementation of an experiment. Rather than reinventing the wheel, protocols allow scientists to take an existing scaffold and tweak it for their specific experimental needs, saving time and effort. Most importantly, protocols help set a standardized method of research, which ultimately fosters scientific reproducibility. Good protocols can also provide details on how to use complex instrumentation, how to create buffers and other chemical mixtures to exacting standards, and how to analyze and interpret data. They are an important cornerstone to successful scientific experimentation. For years, in addition to the highly customized lab notebooks maintained by individual researchers, scientists have referenced the “gold standard” peer-reviewed, and updated print protocols found in Current Protocols in Molecular Biology and Methods in Molecular Biology. Both feature protocols on topics both general and highly specific, along with additional information including comprehensive subject overviews. Unlike the methods sections in most papers, the protocols featured in Current Protocols and Methods in Molecular Biology are rich with information, including discussion on theory, practical tips, buffer recipes, and troubleshooting advice. Additionally, the protocols are oftentimes linked into useful thematic groupings, providing an excellent mechanism for discovery of alternate approaches if one experimental avenue is unsuccessful. Current Protocols was purchased by Wiley and has now expanded to seventeen titles that are electronically available. These include the original Current Protocols in Molecular Biology but now cover other areas such as neuroscience, bioinformatics, and genetics. Likewise, Methods in Molecular Biology has been optioned by Springer and now contains a family of fifteen electronic titles, including biochemistry, infectious disease, and cell biology. These electronic databases are designed for any scientist looking for background information in detailed protocols on a particular technique, although graduate students will benefit the most from the detailed, value-added sections such as “history,” “commentary,” and “troubleshooting.” Advanced scientists will be unlikely to use these resources as they will have likely developed a strong list of protocols tailored to their specific research projects. Major features of the online content of Current Protocols include 15,000 procedures and techniques, extensive background information, and thematically grouped protocols that facilitate discovery of alternative experimental approaches. A new tools section provides 19 different tools to perform routine calculations such as buffer pH or molecular weight. The tools section also includes databases of reference information such as the CD Antigen database. Interestingly, an ImageJ applet is available for image manipulation. However, the value-added tools section is not easy to navigate to from a specific title (such as “Essential Laboratory Techniques”) and requires users to find the Current Protocols main page. Springer Protocols contain 18,000 protocols, many with extensive supplemental information in addition to the core protocols. Springer Protocols also includes an online community, which gives registered researchers the opportunity to upload their own protocols and to leave comments on other protocols. Although this feature is intriguing, researchers are unlikely to store personal protocols in their Springer accounts, and very few protocols have any comments. The primary utility of the Springer account lies in mobile access: users can login and receive all the content to which their institutions subscribe on their mobile devices in an easy-to-read format. Both Current Protocols and Springer Protocols are regularly updated by professionals in the field. Libraries have the option of licensing one or all of the individual titles. The biggest barrier to use lies in the classification of the database: Both Springer Protocols and Current Protocols are thought of as either a journal or as a book by scientists. A scientist trying to find a protocol on the chromatographic separation of proteins by looking under “Current Protocols in Molecular Biology” as a journal rather than as an electronic monograph could get quite exasperated. Even more frustratingly, Springer Protocols are often cataloged under individual subtitles, which can make discovery difficult. Way-finding guides for both Springer and Current Protocols would greatly facilitate use for scientists but would need to be created at each institution individually to address the specific details of how the resources are cataloged. Additionally, as the specificity of the protocol subtitles increases, institutions are presented with the challenge of sometimes only offering some of the titles, which can lead to confusion regarding accessibility. However, despite these hazards of classification, both Current Protocols and Springer Protocols are extremely useful electronic resources that are rich with content and utility.