Empowering scientifc progress: the vital role of open-access, peer-reviewed methods and protocols.pdf
Cilibrasi ﻿BMC Methods             (2024) 1:1   https://doi.org/10.1186/s44330-024-00001-8 EDITORIAL Empowering scientific progress: the vital  role of open‑access, peer‑reviewed methods  and protocols Chiara Cilibrasi1*  Abstract  In the ever-evolving landscape of scientific research, the importance of detailed, accessible methods and step-by-step  reusable protocols cannot be overstated. In alignment with this BMC Methods, is dedicated to facilitating the dissemi- nation of open-access, peer-reviewed novel experimental procedures, techniques, and methodologies to promote  reproducibility, transparency, and the advancement of scientific methods in the natural sciences. Main In the ever-evolving landscape of scientific research, the  importance of detailed, accessible methods and step-by- step reusable protocols cannot be overstated. They are  essential for reproducibility, as well as trust in science  and scientific advancement. Despite progress in open science, particularly in areas  like open access publications, open data, and open code,  advances in open methods have lagged behind [1]. This  discrepancy raises concerns because the lack of openly  accessible detailed methods undermines trust in pub- lished data and severely limits the adoption of new meth- odologies, as well as the use of data. Addressing this  challenge requires a cultural shift within the scientific  community and a commitment to promoting transpar- ency, openness, and collaboration in research practices.  In alignment with this, BMC Methods  (https://​bmcme​ thods.​biome​dcent​ral.​com/)  is dedicated to facilitating  the dissemination of open-access, peer-reviewed novel  experimental procedures, techniques, and methodolo- gies to promote reproducibility, transparency, and the  advancement of scientific methods in the natural sci- ences. To assist our authors in effectively showcasing  their innovative techniques and procedures, BMC Meth- ods offers two primary article types, Methodology Arti- cles and Protocols. These article types serve to facilitate  the dissemination of innovative experimental and com- putational methods or provide detailed step-by-step  descriptions of experimental techniques, respectively.  This approach will then enable our readers to scruti- nise, validate, and build upon easily accessible and peer- reviewed methodologies, establishing a foundation of  shared knowledge that elevates the integrity of scientific  pursuits. We also acknowledge the scientific community’s  demand for living protocols, recognizing that the ques- tion about protocols is generally not whether they will  change, but when and how they will evolve or be adapted  by others. In collaboration with protocols.io (https://​ www.​proto​cols.​io/), we facilitate the deposition of proto- cols on their dynamic platform. This enables versioning  or forking as they evolve or are adapted by other research  groups, preserving an original version that undergoes  peer review and is published with us. Additionally, we  offer the opportunity for researchers to publish proto- col extensions in cases of significant advancements or  adaptations. Open Access © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which  permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the  original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or  other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line  to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory  regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this  licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. BMC Methods *Correspondence: Chiara Cilibrasi chiara.cilibrasi@springernature.com 1 Springer Nature, The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, UK Page 2 of 2 Cilibrasi ﻿BMC Methods             (2024) 1:1  We firmly believe that BMC Methods will play a piv- otal role in addressing the pressing issue of inadequate  reporting of methods, a primary factor contributing to  the widely recognized ‘reproducibility crisis’. Coined in  the early 2010s, this term refers to a significant challenge  faced by the scientific community, where a substantial  number of published scientific studies and experiments  cannot be reliably reproduced by other researchers [2].  A 2016 survey by Nature on 1,576 researchers who took  a brief online questionnaire on reproducibility, found  that more than 70% of researchers have tried and failed  to reproduce another scientist’s experiment results and  more than half have failed to reproduce their own experi- ments [3]. Additionally, the “Reproducibility Project:  Cancer Biology” sought to replicate findings from 193  high profile experiments in cancer research [4]. No paper  contained sufficient methodological details to allow  researchers to design and conduct a replication study.  Contact with authors was always required to design and  conduct replication studies, and many authors were not  able to provide helpful information. These examples  clearly demonstrate that research findings are important  but not useful if the methods used to generate the data  are not accessible or not sufficiently detailed to allow  reproducibility, understanding and trust. In conclusion BMC Methods, as the first Springer  Nature open-access, peer-reviewed journal that will  focus on providing updates in methods and lab proto- cols, aims to position itself at the forefront of the cultural  shift that will eventually result in elevating the quality  and rigour of scientific research. We warmly encourage  you to submit your methodologies and step-by-step reus- able protocols to our journal (https://​submi​ssion.​sprin​ gerna​ture.​com/​new-​submi​ssion/​44330/3), embracing the  transformative potential of open-access and peer-review  to methodologies and protocols, propelling science into a  future marked by reproducibility, continual progress and  shared discovery. Acknowledgements Not applicable. Authors’ contributions CC conceived and drafted the manuscript. CC read and approved the final  manuscript. Funding Not applicable. Availability of data and materials No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Not applicable. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests CC is an employee of Springer Nature and the Editor for BMC Methods. Received: 18 January 2024   Accepted: 22 January 2024 References 	1.	 Leite SB, Brooke M, Carusi A, Collings A, Deceuninck P, Dechamp J-F, et al.  Promoting Reusable and Open Methods and Protocols (PRO-MaP): Draft  recommendations to improve methodological clarity in life sciences  publications. OSF Preprints. 2023. Available from: osf.​io/​x85gh. 	2.	 Pashler H, Harris CR. Is the Replicability Crisis Overblown? Three Argu- ments Examined. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2012;7(6):531–6. 	3.	 Baker M. 1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproducibility". Nature (News  Feature). Springer Nature. 2016;533(7604):452–4. 	4.	 Errington TM, Denis A, Perfito N, Iorns E, Nosek BA. Challenges for assess- ing replicability in preclinical cancer biology. eLife. 2021;10:e67995.  https://​doi.​org/​10.​7554/​eLife.​67995. Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in pub- lished maps and institutional affiliations. Cilibrasi ﻿BMC Methods             (2024) 1:1   https://doi.org/10.1186/s44330-024-00001-8 EDITORIAL Empowering scientific progress: the vital  role of open‑access, peer‑reviewed methods  and protocols Chiara Cilibrasi1*  Abstract  In the ever-evolving landscape of scientific research, the importance of detailed, accessible methods and step-by-step  reusable protocols cannot be overstated. In alignment with this BMC Methods, is dedicated to facilitating the dissemi- nation of open-access, peer-reviewed novel experimental procedures, techniques, and methodologies to promote  reproducibility, transparency, and the advancement of scientific methods in the natural sciences. Main In the ever-evolving landscape of scientific research, the  importance of detailed, accessible methods and step-by- step reusable protocols cannot be overstated. They are  essential for reproducibility, as well as trust in science  and scientific advancement. Despite progress in open science, particularly in areas  like open access publications, open data, and open code,  advances in open methods have lagged behind [1]. This  discrepancy raises concerns because the lack of openly  accessible detailed methods undermines trust in pub- lished data and severely limits the adoption of new meth- odologies, as well as the use of data. Addressing this  challenge requires a cultural shift within the scientific  community and a commitment to promoting transpar- ency, openness, and collaboration in research practices.  In alignment with this, BMC Methods  (https://​bmcme​ thods.​biome​dcent​ral.​com/)  is dedicated to facilitating  the dissemination of open-access, peer-reviewed novel  experimental procedures, techniques, and methodolo- gies to promote reproducibility, transparency, and the  advancement of scientific methods in the natural sci- ences. To assist our authors in effectively showcasing  their innovative techniques and procedures, BMC Meth- ods offers two primary article types, Methodology Arti- cles and Protocols. These article types serve to facilitate  the dissemination of innovative experimental and com- putational methods or provide detailed step-by-step  descriptions of experimental techniques, respectively.  This approach will then enable our readers to scruti- nise, validate, and build upon easily accessible and peer- reviewed methodologies, establishing a foundation of  shared knowledge that elevates the integrity of scientific  pursuits. We also acknowledge the scientific community’s  demand for living protocols, recognizing that the ques- tion about protocols is generally not whether they will  change, but when and how they will evolve or be adapted  by others. In collaboration with protocols.io (https://​ www.​proto​cols.​io/), we facilitate the deposition of proto- cols on their dynamic platform. This enables versioning  or forking as they evolve or are adapted by other research  groups, preserving an original version that undergoes  peer review and is published with us. Additionally, we  offer the opportunity for researchers to publish proto- col extensions in cases of significant advancements or  adaptations. Open Access © The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which  permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the  original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or  other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line  to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory  regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this  licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. BMC Methods *Correspondence: Chiara Cilibrasi chiara.cilibrasi@springernature.com 1 Springer Nature, The Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London N1 9XW, UK Page 2 of 2 Cilibrasi ﻿BMC Methods             (2024) 1:1  We firmly believe that BMC Methods will play a piv- otal role in addressing the pressing issue of inadequate  reporting of methods, a primary factor contributing to  the widely recognized ‘reproducibility crisis’. Coined in  the early 2010s, this term refers to a significant challenge  faced by the scientific community, where a substantial  number of published scientific studies and experiments  cannot be reliably reproduced by other researchers [2].  A 2016 survey by Nature on 1,576 researchers who took  a brief online questionnaire on reproducibility, found  that more than 70% of researchers have tried and failed  to reproduce another scientist’s experiment results and  more than half have failed to reproduce their own experi- ments [3]. Additionally, the “Reproducibility Project:  Cancer Biology” sought to replicate findings from 193  high profile experiments in cancer research [4]. No paper  contained sufficient methodological details to allow  researchers to design and conduct a replication study.  Contact with authors was always required to design and  conduct replication studies, and many authors were not  able to provide helpful information. These examples  clearly demonstrate that research findings are important  but not useful if the methods used to generate the data  are not accessible or not sufficiently detailed to allow  reproducibility, understanding and trust. In conclusion BMC Methods, as the first Springer  Nature open-access, peer-reviewed journal that will  focus on providing updates in methods and lab proto- cols, aims to position itself at the forefront of the cultural  shift that will eventually result in elevating the quality  and rigour of scientific research. We warmly encourage  you to submit your methodologies and step-by-step reus- able protocols to our journal (https://​submi​ssion.​sprin​ gerna​ture.​com/​new-​submi​ssion/​44330/3), embracing the  transformative potential of open-access and peer-review  to methodologies and protocols, propelling science into a  future marked by reproducibility, continual progress and  shared discovery. Acknowledgements Not applicable. Authors’ contributions CC conceived and drafted the manuscript. CC read and approved the final  manuscript. Funding Not applicable. Availability of data and materials No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Not applicable. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests CC is an employee of Springer Nature and the Editor for BMC Methods. Received: 18 January 2024   Accepted: 22 January 2024 References 	1.	 Leite SB, Brooke M, Carusi A, Collings A, Deceuninck P, Dechamp J-F, et al.  Promoting Reusable and Open Methods and Protocols (PRO-MaP): Draft  recommendations to improve methodological clarity in life sciences  publications. OSF Preprints. 2023. Available from: osf.​io/​x85gh. 	2.	 Pashler H, Harris CR. Is the Replicability Crisis Overblown? Three Argu- ments Examined. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2012;7(6):531–6. 	3.	 Baker M. 1,500 scientists lift the lid on reproducibility". Nature (News  Feature). Springer Nature. 2016;533(7604):452–4. 	4.	 Errington TM, Denis A, Perfito N, Iorns E, Nosek BA. Challenges for assess- ing replicability in preclinical cancer biology. eLife. 2021;10:e67995.  https://​doi.​org/​10.​7554/​eLife.​67995. Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in pub- lished maps and institutional affiliations.
Title: Empowering scientific progress: the vital role of open-access, peer-reviewed methods and protocols ​
Authors: Chiara Cilibrasi 
Publisher: Springer Nature ​
Date: 2024-01-22 00:00:00
Abstract: In the ever-evolving landscape of scientific research, the importance of detailed, accessible methods and step-by-step reusable protocols cannot be overstated. ​ In alignment with this BMC Methods, is dedicated to facilitating the dissemination of open-access, peer-reviewed novel experimental procedures, techniques, and methodologies to promote reproducibility, transparency, and the advancement of scientific methods in the natural sciences. ​  