Aim
Several well-documented cases have highlighted that there is a “reproducibility crisis” in basic science research.
Although various reasons for this exists, our group and many others have suggested that 1) poor experimental design, 2) inappropriate use of statistical analyses, and 3) inadequate reporting of key methodological details are some of the largest barriers to the reproducibility of basic science research.
To address this:
We conducted interviews and surveys with investigators to get an idea of their understanding of preclinical reporting and design methodology as well as to gauge their satisfaction with the educational materials that currently exist. These interviews revealed an appetite for a user-friendly interactive platform to act as a repository of basic science resources to facilitate proper experimental design, appropriate statistical analyses, and reporting.
From here:
We developed preclinicaldesign.ca to act as a repository of resources for preclinical scientists. On this webpage you will find information on how to improve reporting practices, tools to guide the implementation of important design elements in your lab, and external resources.