Some journals have implemented guidelines regarding the use and reporting of cell lines, antibodies, and laboratory animals to improve the value and usefulness of research outcomes. In this study, Wytske M. Hepkema and colleagues use 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. The authors observed a general improvement of reporting quality over time, which the implementation of guidelines accelerated only in some cases. Hepkema et al. therefore concluded 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.

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