Yes. The basic criteria for considering protocols are whether:

1. The protocol has been validated by its use in a research article (peer-reviewed or preprint) or by data provided in the validation section of the protocol

2. Previously published versions of the same protocol do not provide sufficient detail to enable novices with only limited supervision to properly execute the experiment

The protocol will be of value to others in the life science research community

Bio-protocol is different from other methods and protocol journals because the novelty of the method and techniques is not evaluated as a requirement for publication. We publish basic, advanced, new, and classic protocols. The articles in Bio-Protocol are highly detailed versions of the condensed methods described in research papers, which have not yet been described in detail elsewhere. They may include personal tips and notes, troubleshooting instructions, pause points, and critical steps. Our ultimate goal is to ensure the original experiment can be reproduced even by novices with limited supervision. Authors must always cite the original research paper or preprint.

Yes. You can publish in Bio-protocol if you provide evidence that the protocol is robust and reproducible. This can be achieved by including high-quality data with the appropriate number of replicates and a description of the analysis of the data that confirms its reproducibility, in the validation section of the protocol.

Creating a protocol article based on a method described in an original research paper is not copyright infringement. The Committee for Publication Ethics (COPE) has stated that reusing information from the methods section of a research paper (even the exact same text) is not plagiarism. While sharing the published PDF of the paper would be an infringement, creating a detailed description of a previously published method is not. Importantly, all protocols published in Bio-protocol must acknowledge the original research paper in the "Acknowledgments" section, if relevant, as well as throughout the manuscript, by citing it where appropriate. See an example here.

For extra context on this topic, see “When is ‘self-plagiarism' OK? New guidelines offer researchers rules for recycling text” in Science magazine.

If you are using a modified version of a previously published figure, citing the original paper and writing "adapted from…" will be sufficient acknowledgment. If you reproduce a previously published figure from an open-access article, please include the complete copyright information in the figure legend (see an example in Figure 1 here). If the figure reproduced is not from an open-access article, contact the original publisher to get permission to reproduce it in Bio-protocol, and include the phrase “reproduced with permission of…” and the citation in the figure legend.

To limit redundancy, Bio-protocol avoids publishing protocols already detailed in previous Bio-protocol articles or in other method and protocol journals, unless there are significant differences that justify publishing a new version of the protocol. Such differences might include:

1. Technology advances that were not available when the original protocol was written

2. The application of the protocol to a new species, organ, or tissue

3. The inclusion of new protocol optimization strategies

4. The addition of details that were not included in the previously published version

Keep in mind that methods articles can lack the level of detail required for a novice to carry out the protocol, or do not include helpful tips and notes, troubleshooting instructions, and information about pause points that might be critical to reproduce the experiment or study. Therefore, you might publish in Bio-protocol if previous publications do not describe a step-by-step application of the method in sufficient detail.

Yes. You can send us a presubmission inquiry by filling out the form here: https://bio-protocol.org/presubmission.aspx. Our Associate Editors will review the information provided and respond to your request within five working days. The system will not allow you to submit a protocol without an accepted presubmission inquiry or an accepted invitation. There are no fees for submitting presubmission inquiries.