Better reporting is better science: Community-defined minimal reporting requirements for light microscopy

Area of Science:

• Microscopy and Imaging Science
• Scientific Methodology
• Data Reproducibility

Background:

• Incomplete reporting of microscopy methods hinders scientific transparency, reproducibility, and data reuse.
• Current reporting guidelines for microscopy are insufficient, lacking broad endorsement and accessibility.
• There is a critical need for standardized, easy-to-implement reporting standards in microscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a minimal set of essential microscopy reporting requirements.
• To develop a checklist that integrates human- and machine-readable formats.
• To provide clear, actionable guidance for researchers, reviewers, and publishers to improve microscopy reporting.

Main Methods:

• Development of a bare minimal microscopy reporting requirements checklist.
• Integration of human-readable and machine-readable components into the checklist.
• Focus on essential elements for transparent and reproducible microscopy methods reporting.

Main Results:

• A concise checklist of essential microscopy reporting requirements has been established.
• The checklist is designed for both human interpretation and machine processing.
• The proposed requirements aim to enhance clarity and actionability in microscopy methods reporting.

Conclusions:

• Implementing this minimal checklist can significantly improve the transparency and reproducibility of microscopy research.
• Standardized reporting will facilitate data reuse and advance community standards in the field.
• This initiative provides a practical tool to address the persistent challenge of incomplete microscopy methods reporting.