April 24, 2019 -- A process developed by ISU researchers to help authors improve the reporting of livestock trials was recently endorsed by the Journal of Dairy Science.
The process, REFLECT (Reporting Guidelines for Randomized Controlled Trials), consists of a checklist of 22 items for authors to use to improve the reporting of livestock trials and challenge studies with production, health, or food-safety outcomes. REFLECT helps researchers report their findings in a thorough and consistent manner so producers and veterinarians can better understand the implications and limitations of the studies.
Developed by a team including veterinary epidemiologist Annette O’Connor, REFLECT is a step forward in improving the approach to reporting research studies so the results can be used more fully.
“The endorsement by the Journal of Dairy Science is great news,” O’Connor said. “Since developing the REFLECT process, we have evidence that it works. Endorsement by the world’s leading dairy research journal will advance the use of the process and have a significant impact on animal health and food-safety research by increasing research reproducibility and reducing research wastage.”
The reporting guidelines can be found at the MERIDIAN website, housed by ISU-CVM, which is a clearing house for reporting guidelines for animal studies.
