Finding methods & protocols
Methods and protocols can be surprisingly tricky to locate. Whether looking for protocols in Scholar OneSearch, or a database like Web of Science, you'll likely have the most luck by searching for your topic and/or organism, plus a term like 'method', 'protocol', or other synonym.
Library resources
Databases
- Protocols.ioRepository for methods and protocols in the life sciences. NU researchers can create, manage, and share their research protocols and methods with other users on the platform, making them freely available for other scholars and improving reproducibility across the field. Users may also choose to keep their research private. Register with your Northeastern email address to access premium features.
- Springer Experiments This link opens in a new windowA database of over 75,000 protocols from Springer Protocols, Nature Methods, Nature Protocols, and Nature Reviews Primer.
- Sage Research Methods This link opens in a new windowAn online collection of information for beginning and advanced researchers looking for the best methods to use in their research. Full access to Books & Reference, Cases Part 1, Datasets Part 1, and Video: Practical Research and Academic Skills.
Books
- Auditory and Vestibular Research by Thissecond edition expands upon the previous volume with new and updated chapters. Auditory and Vestibular Research: Methodsand Protocols, Second Edition guides readers through protocols on cellculture, tissue engineering, nanotechnology, high-throughput screening, andphysiology. Chapters on physiology covertechniques that include optical coherence tomography, patch clamping, andphotostimulation of caged neurotransmitters. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology seriesformat, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of thenecessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratoryprotocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritativeand cutting-edge, Auditoryand Vestibular Research: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successfulresults in the further study of this vital field.ISBN: 9781493936137Publication Date: 2016-06-04
- Basic Cell Culture Protocols by At some point in their careers, virtually every scientist and technician, as well as many medical professionals, regardless of their area of specialization have a need to utilize cell culture systems. Updating and significantly expanding upon the previous editions, Basic Cell Culture Protocols, Fourth Edition provides the novice cell culturist with sufficient information to perform the basic techniques, to ensure the health and identity of their cell lines, and to be able to isolate and culture specialized primary cell types. The intent of this extensive volume is to generate a valuable resource containing clear methodologies pertinent to current areas of investigation, rather than attempting to educate cell culturists on specific cell types or organ systems. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(tm), chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and up-to-date, Basic Cell Culture Protocols, Fourth Edition compiles the essential techniques needed to approach this vital laboratory activity with full success.ISBN: 9781627031271Publication Date: 2012-11-20
- An Introduction to Methods and Models in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology by An innovative introduction to ecology and evolution This unique textbook introduces undergraduate students to quantitative models and methods in ecology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation. It explores the core concepts shared by these related fields using tools and practical skills such as experimental design, generating phylogenies, basic statistical inference, and persuasive grant writing. And contributors use examples from their own cutting-edge research, providing diverse views to engage students and broaden their understanding. This is the only textbook on the subject featuring a collaborative "active learning" approach that emphasizes hands-on learning. Every chapter has exercises that enable students to work directly with the material at their own pace and in small groups. Each problem includes data presented in a rich array of formats, which students use to answer questions that illustrate patterns, principles, and methods. Topics range from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and population effective size to optimal foraging and indices of biodiversity. The book also includes a comprehensive glossary. In addition to the editors, the contributors are James Beck, Cawas Behram Engineer, John Gaskin, Luke Harmon, Jon Hess, Jason Kolbe, Kenneth H. Kozak, Robert J. Robertson, Emily Silverman, Beth Sparks-Jackson, and Anton Weisstein. Provides experience with hypothesis testing, experimental design, and scientific reasoning Covers core quantitative models and methods in ecology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation Turns "discussion sections" into "thinking labs" Professors: A supplementary Instructor's Manual is available for this book. It is restricted to teachers using the text in courses. For information on how to obtain a copy, refer to: http://press.princeton.edu/class_use/solutions.htmlISBN: 9781400835454Publication Date: 2010-01-04
- Molecular Cloning: a Laboratory Manual (Fourth Edition) by Molecular Cloning has served as the foundation of technical expertise in labs worldwide for 30 years. No other manual has been so popular, or so influential. Molecular Cloning, Fourth Edition, by the celebrated founding author Joe Sambrook and new co-author, the distinguished HHMI investigator Michael Green, preserves the highly praised detail and clarity of previous editions and includes specific chapters and protocols commissioned for the book from expert practitioners at Yale, U Mass, Rockefeller University, Texas Tech, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Washington University, and other leading institutions. The theoretical and historical underpinnings of techniques are prominent features of the presentation throughout, information that does much to help trouble-shoot experimental problems. For the fourth edition of this classic work, the content has been entirely recast to include nucleic-acid based methods selected as the most widely used and valuable in molecular and cellular biology laboratories. Core chapters from the third edition have been revised to feature current strategies and approaches to the preparation and cloning of nucleic acids, gene transfer, and expression analysis. They are augmented by 12 new chapters which show how DNA, RNA, and proteins should be prepared, evaluated, and manipulated, and how data generation and analysis can be handled. The new content includes methods for studying interactions between cellular components, such as microarrays, next-generation sequencing technologies, RNA interference, and epigenetic analysis using DNA methylation techniques and chromatin immunoprecipitation. To make sense of the wealth of data produced by these techniques, a bioinformatics chapter describes the use of analytical tools for comparing sequences of genes and proteins and identifying common expression patterns among sets of genes. Please take a look at our book preview site at molecularcloning.com. Building on thirty years of trust, reliability, and authority, the fourth edition of Molecular Cloning is the new gold standard--the one indispensable molecular biology laboratory manual and reference source.ISBN: 9781936113415Publication Date: 2012-06-15
- Plant Bioinformatics by This new edition focuses on applied bioinformatics with specific applications to crops, model and diverse plant species. The scope extends from the genome to the phenome and includes aspects of data management, analysis, visualization, and integration. The methods and approaches found within reflect the increasing use of high performance computing infrastructure to analyze and manage the enormous volume of data being generated by the latest high throughput technologies, the establishment and further maturation of major database systems and repositories, as well as the introduction of new approaches such as machine learning. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, the chapters include the kind of detailed implementation advice that leads to successful research results. Authoritative and up-to-date, Plant Bioinformatics: Methods and Protocols, Third Edition will aid researchers exploring the broad comparison of speciesthat will drive future plant research, crop breeding, and bioinformatics developments that allow us to understand and manipulate the heritable differences between individuals and populations. Chapters 2, 3, and 26 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.ISBN: 9781071620663Publication Date: 2022-01-17
Websites with methods & protocols
Company websites can be good resources for basic protocols. Some examples:
Other websites with protocols include:
Featured resource: JoVE
- JoVE: Journal of Visualized Experiments This link opens in a new windowJournals, but formatted with video, combining high-quality video demonstrations of experiments with detailed text protocols. All content is peer-reviewed and indexed in biomedical databases. Northeastern University has access to all JoVE Video Journals and Science Education subjects.
Here's a basic methods video showing how to do a Western blot.