Misidentified biomedical resources: Journal guidelines are not a quick fix

International Journal of Cancer, vol. 150, pp. 1233–1243

Abstract

Biomedical researchers routinely use a variety of biological models and resources, such as cultured cell lines, antibodies and laboratory animals. Unfortunately, these resources are not flawless: cell lines can be misidentified; for antibodies, problems with specificity, lot-to-lot consistency and sensitivity are common; and the reliability of animal models is questioned due to poor translation of animal studies to human clinical trials. In some cases, these problems can render the results of a study meaningless. As a response, some journals have implemented guidelines regarding the use and reporting of cell lines, antibodies and laboratory animals. In our study we use a portfolio of existing and newly created datasets to investigate identification and authentication information of cell lines, antibodies and organisms before and after guideline introduction, compared to journals without guidelines. We observed a general improvement of reporting quality over time, which the implementation of guidelines accelerated only in some cases. We therefore conclude that the effectiveness of journal guidelines is likely to be context dependent, affected by factors such as implementation conditions, research community support and monitoring and resource availability. Hence, journal reporting guidelines in themselves are not a quick fix to repair shortcomings in biomedical resource documentation, even though they can be part of the solution.

Authors 4

1. Wytske M. Hepkema

   Technische Universität Berlin

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Sociology Technische Universität Berlin Berlin Germany

2. Serge P. J. M. Horbach Aachen Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands Centre for Science and Technology Studies

   Leiden University · Aarhus University

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Science and Technology Studies Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands

   Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark

   Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

   Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

3. Joyce M. Hoek

   University of Groningen

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychology University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands

   Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

4. Willem Halffman corresponding

   Radboud University Nijmegen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Science in Society Radboud University Nijmegen Nijmegen The Netherlands

   Institute for Science in Society, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands