2020 BioImage Analysis Survey: Community experiences and needs for the future

Area of Science:

• * Scientific imaging
• * Bioimage analysis
• * Open-source software development

Background:

• * A 2020 global survey assessed the needs of the imaging community.
• * The survey targeted 484 participants through the NIH Center for Open BioImage Analysis (COBA).
• * It covered image analysis experience, demographics, and community feedback for tool developers and users.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To gather community feedback on open-source bioimage analysis tools.
• * To identify preferred learning methods and resource needs within the imaging community.
• * To inform developers, trainers, and organizations on prioritizing efforts.

Main Methods:

• * A 23-question survey including open-ended questions was administered globally.
• * Data collected included participant demographics, scientific background, and image analysis experience.
• * Analysis focused on community requests and preferred learning modalities.

Main Results:

• * Key requests for developers include improved documentation and accessible tutorials.
• * Community members are encouraged to utilize best practices and forums like forum.image.sc.
• * Written and video tutorials are the most preferred learning methods, followed by webinars.
• * There is strong interest in a centralized online repository for educational resources.

Conclusions:

• * Survey results provide actionable insights for improving open-source bioimage analysis tools and training.
• * Prioritizing documentation, tutorials, and centralized resources will enhance user support.
• * Findings will guide organizations like COBA in structuring future development and educational initiatives.