Why use Nextgen Protocols?
Because they are good!
- learn the basics – includes fundamental laboratory techniques
- learn cutting edge techniques
- learn methods for emerging technologies
- easy to master new techniques (simple and thorough format and video clip enabled)
- safety guidelines included
- utility is paramount (originality is welcomed but not required)
- learn wet and dry approaches
Paper gets the key information across…. but time is wasted when text alone doesn’t convey the subtleties of how to handle samples.
In-house video protocols are helpful, but rarely have enough detail to be followed successfully.
Platforms for professional, annotated videography are available, but researchers can’t always access these expensive tools.
Mechanisms for sharing screen-capture execution of dry-lab experiments are lacking.
NextGen Protocols meet these challenges with a low barrier to entry approach that allows researchers to create multimedia protocols that integrate video and written elements using readily available tools such as cell phone video cameras and word processing.
Better Tools to Share Research Methods
With new methods emerging all the time, there is no single, definitive source of methods that researchers can turn to.
Lack of experimental detail contributes to issues with reproducibility of results.
NextGen Protocols bridge the gap between all-too-brief Materials and Methods sections in journals, and the detailed instructions found in lab notebooks.
Once submitted, NextGen Protocols cannot be changed by others, ensuring consistency between a method and data in the literature.
The NextGen Protocols website is an open-access platform where researchers can find instructions for creating their own NextGen Protocols and sharing them with others.
Researchers can also find and view NextGen Protocols for their own use, and give comments about their experiences working with the protocols.
The Art of the Bench
Successful execution of intricate experiments is an art — subtleties of sample handling can make or break an experiment.
NextGen Protocols provide a vehicle for student researchers to demonstrate their skills in executing successful experiments and to receive recognition for their contributions at the bench.