Synopsis

Best Practices for Improving Animal Study Reproducibility

Up to 90% of published in vivo studies have been found by researchers to be unreproducible. Generating results with a high level of integrity, detail, and reproducibility consistently is challenging. It underscores the need to critically examine, improve, and standardize processes and rigor for animal study conduct and data management. Researchers must understand the factors contributing to poor data quality and irreproducible study results and implement effective “Best Practices” for data integrity, study conduct, and scientific rigor. Researchers attending this presentation will gain an understanding of some success factors, practical approaches, and study workflow software approaches to make animal studies more reproducible. Workshop participants will also be invited to share their own tips and ways to reduce variability or bias in their own studies.

• Study Plan Details. What’s the right level of detail?
• How can we improve confidence that the Study Plan was followed correctly?
• Task and Measurement Scheduling and Execution
• Task Completion: Transparency, Oversight, and Verification
• Study Design, Method, and Nomenclature Standardization
• Good Documentation Practices
• Consistent Analytical Approaches 
• Practical Tips Roundtable Discussion: Share your own ideas, experiences and approaches as to how your lab reduces variability.