Protocols

Scientific protocols comprise procedural methods (recipes) for the design and implementation of experiments. They are primarily written to standardise laboratory methods and to ensure successful replication of results by others. In addition to detailed procedures including equipment and instruments, protocols often also contain information on calculations and statistical analysis as well as safety precautions.

    • Bio-protocol is a peer reviewed e-journal established in 2011 by a group of Stanford researchers. Their mission is to make life science research more efficient and reproducible by curating and hosting high quality, open access, life science protocols.
    • Biological Procedures Online publishes peer reviewed open access articles that improve access to techniques and methods in the medical and biological sciences.
    • Methods in Cell Biology provides proven, state-of-art techniques. It has built up a deep library of biological methods to study model developmental organisms, organelles and cell systems, as well as comprehensive coverage of microscopy and other analytical approaches.
    • Methods in Enzymology comprises publications focused primarily on research methods in biochemistry and rapidly developing techniques in the experimental biological and medical sciences. Each topical issue is organized by an expert guest editor and consists solely of invited quality articles by specialist authors.
    • Springer Protocols (trial access until end of 2024) is an up-to-date compilation of the most relevant sources on laboratory protocols in the biomedical and life sciences, including Methods in Molecular Biology.
    • Nature Methods is a forum for peer reviewed publication of novel methods and significant improvements to tried-and-tested basic research techniques in the life sciences.
    • Nature Protocols is a peer reviewed online journal of laboratory protocols for bench researchers. Protocols are presented in a 'recipe' style providing step-by-step descriptions of procedures which users can take to the lab and immediately apply in their own research. Protocols on the site are fully searchable and organized into logical categories to be easily accessible to researchers.
    • Nature Review Methods Primers publishes introductory overviews of methods and techniques, including best practices for experimentation, analysis and applications. These overview articles will provide relevant information needed to evaluate, adopt and build on methods. 
    • Organic Syntheses (open access) provides the chemistry community with detailed, reliable and carefully checked (peer reviewed) procedures for the synthesis of organic compounds.

    • Bitesize Bio is a knowledge-sharing platform where individual bioscientists and companies share their know-how and solutions in the lab.
    • OpenWetware Protocols promote the sharing of information, know-how and wisdom among researchers and groups who are working in biology & biological engineering.
    • Protocol Exchange is an open repository for the deposition and sharing of protocols for scientific research. The protocols included come partially from Nature Protocols and other Nature publications, the remainder are directly posted on the Protocol Exchange plattform by their authors and hence have not been further styled, peer reviewed or copy edited. Rather they are made freely available to the scientific community for use and comment.
    • Protocols.io is an open repository of science methods and a collaborative protocol-centered platform. Protocols are posted directly by their authors to be used and commented by the scientific community.