Biomed Resource Watch Use Case 1  

Use Case 1: Submitting Information About a Non-Specific Antibody

User Persona: Research Scientists or Core Facility Researchers who conduct western blots using antibodies

Scenario: The user encounters an issue with a commercial antibody while conducting experiments. Non-specific bands are observed although the vendor's claim that it can be used for mouse beta cells. The user wants to report this issue via the dkNET portal to Biomed Resource Watch to warn other researchers. The user has already published a paper and mentioned this in a paper.

User Goals: The user would like to share information about the antibody issue with other researchers by submitting information via dkNET. This ensures that the warning information can be accessed via Resource Reports and Biomed Resource Watch, enhancing transparency and promoting rigor and reproducibility.

Process Flow (How does the user achieve this?)

1. Visit dkNET homepage (https://dknet.org)

2. Under “Find Resources to Power Your Research”, click “antibodies” under Resource Reports.

3. Enter keywords relevant to a specific antibody in the search bar and click search. Using RRID, vendor and catalog number to search would make it easier to find a specific antibody. Facets can be used to refine the results.

4. Locate the antibody in the search results and click its name to view its Resource Reports.

5. Scroll down to the “Ratings and Alerts” section to check existing information.

6. Click the “Report Information” button.

7. Log in to your dkNET account if you haven’t logged in. Create an account if you don’t have an account yet.

8. You will be redirected to the Biomed Resource Watch confirmation and submission page.

9. Fill out the information page:

   1. Select “Antibody has issue.”

   2. Provide a description, e.g., Using XYZ antibody in a western blot experiment, this antibody stained two bands in the 42 and 56 kDa range (see figure 2 of Smith et al, 2023).

   3. Provide a PMID, URL, DOI or PDF of the paper.

   4. Click “Add document”

   5. Click “Confirm Submission”

Benefits: By submitting information about a research resource, the user contributes to the scientific community and enhances rigor and reproducibility. The scientific community can benefit from the warning information, saving time and costs.

Potential Challenges: If no published paper exists, the user can provide image evidence or other documentation. The system accepts URL, PDF, and PNG, JPG, JPEG for image files.

Review, Curation, and Approval: The submitted information will be reviewed by curators in 5-7 business days and the data will be released to the public after curation has been completed. Curators will review the submitted data to ensure its adherence to standards. The curators may request additional information or documentation to support the submission.