This project aims to improve the quality of reporting for images in scientific publications. We conducted a systematic review to examine the quality of reporting for images in papers published in the top 15 journals for **physiology**, **cell biology** and **plant sciences**. Journals were selected according to the 2016 impact factor published in Journal Citation Reports.
**Types** of images included in the analysis:
1. Photos: This may include photos of a specimen, experimental set-up, etc. Immunoblots and images of gels are excluded, as some of the criteria examined in this project are not relevant to these types of images.
2. Microscope images: Taken of specimen under the microscope with a microscope camera (light microscopy, confocal microscopy, light sheet etc.)
3. Electron microscope images: Taken with an electron microscope
4. Images from clinical imaging techniques: ultrasound, echocardiography, MRI, x-ray, e-ray CT, positron emission tomography (PET)
5. Other types of images: Infrared images of mice, etc.
Images in each paper are checked for:
1. Properly labeled scale bars
2. Clear description of the species, tissue or object represented
3. Clear explanation of labels used
4. Color blind safeness of both images and labels
5. Clear explanation of colors in images
This repository includes the **abstraction protocol that was used to evaluate images**, as well as **data, code, figures and slides for teaching**.
This project was designed and conducted by members of the **eLife Ambassadors Meta-research Team** (2018, 2019).