RRIDs (Research Resource Identifiers) support NIH guidelines for rigor and transparency in research by facilitating the authentication and tracking of key resources like antibodies and cell lines. Funded by multiple sources, RRIDs aim to improve reproducibility and provide a system for tracking research outputs and NIH investments. This document discusses the challenges in resource identification in research publishing and advocates for the use of RRIDs in experimental documentation.

1. Funders and RRIDs
RRIDs were created jointly by NIH, Journal Editors, UCSD and other researchers;
RRIDs function in support of NIH guidelines for Rigor and Transparency
RRIDs are funded and maintained jointly by the following:
U24-DA039832 to The Neuroscience Information Framework,
U24-DK097771 to dkNet,
(COI declaration) R43-OD024432 to SciCrunch Inc,
and Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

2. NIH Rigor and Transparency Guidelines describe
changes to grant review guidelines, including an
explicit call to improve use of:
Antibodies,
Cell Lines,
Organisms,
and Chemicals

3. Freeman et al, 2017. Reproducibility2020: Progress and priorities; F1000Research
*

4. Why these reagents and
not all reagents?

5. How do you authenticate an antibody?
Nature Methods, 2016: A proposal for validation of antibodies
Mathias Uhlen1, Anita Bandrowski2, Steven Carr3, Aled Edwards4,
Jan Ellenberg5, Emma Lundberg1, David L Rimm6, Henry
Rodriguez7, Tara Hiltke7, Michael Snyder8 & Tadashi Yamamoto9
These pillars rest on
proper identification

6. Who authenticates every antibody?
There are 5,700 journals
indexed in PubMed

7. 34 journals say they
require cell line
authentication, others
enforce identification

8. At the simplest level every study is like a recipe,
resources (ingredients) and a protocol

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10. The State of The Art in Publishing

11. Can you find this mouse
at the stock center?

12. Papers are still poor at
identifying the simplest
part of the paper, the
materials used, but
when asked the authors
know what they used
so this is culture not
malice!
Vasilevsky 2013

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15. RRID system is designed to be easily extensible to other resources

16. Anatomy of the RRID syntax
DSHB Cat# GAD-6, Lot #12, RRID:AB_528264
Company or
Provider
Local
Identifier
Version or
Lot used
Global Unique
Persistent Identifier

17. http://scicrunch.org/resources

20. SciBot reads a paper
and creates a W3C-
annotation, display is
in Hypothes.is
https://blog.box.com/blog/int
roducing-developer-tokens/

22. RRIDs in the wild

25. But why should NIH care?

26. 1.
RRIDs enable an early warning system
for bad resources

28. 2.
RRIDs enable tracking of non-traditional
intellectual output

29. PubMed ID / DOI
I published this paper
RRID
I made this antibody
I am a researcher

31. RRIDs make it easier to track NIH investments

32. 3.
RRIDs help researchers demonstrate
they comply with NIH guidelines

33. http://doi.org/10.6075/J0RB72JC

34. Tools for Authors/Reviewers
Hypothetical workflow for paper (or grant) submission enabled by RRIDs
AUTOMATED REVIEW
Areas of concern:
RRID:AB_2341130: This antibody is being
used for immunohistochemistry by authors,
approved uses from manufacturer include
western blot
RRID:CVCL_2346: This is a known
contaminated cell line
REVIEWER REPORT
Submit
Paper
R43-OD024432

35. To recommend that researchers use RRIDs:
● before they start their experiments
● when they report on their experimental findings