Methods Papers – a new article type in PeerJ Life & Environment

We are pleased to introduce a new article type in PeerJ Life & Environment aimed at showcasing innovative methods and protocols within the scientific community: Methods Papers.

Methods Papers should describe new or significantly improved methods and protocols, or the adaptation of existing methods in new domains.

Policies and Procedures for Methods Papers:

Need: Authors must articulate the need for the method, providing context for its development or adaptation.

Comparison and Evaluation: Methods should be compared to existing alternatives, highlighting advantages and disadvantages. Where possible, quantification of improvements should be provided. Improvements might include, but are not limited to, reduced cost, improved accessibility, greater specificity/sensitivity, etc.

Data and Materials: Any data used to develop and validate the method must be provided, along with detailed descriptions of any materials required to complete the method.

Accessibility and Reproducibility: Methods should be described in sufficient detail to allow others to replicate them, contributing to the accessibility and reproducibility of scientific research.

Ethical Considerations: Authors must adhere to PeerJ’s ethical requirements, ensuring transparency and integrity in scientific practice.

We invite researchers to submit articles detailing the development and validation of innovative methods and protocols to PeerJ Life & Environment as Methods Papers, and contribute to the advancement of scientific methodology and practice.

For more information on submission guidelines and how to submit your Methods Paper, please visit our Author Guidelines page.