Resources 

Introduction

The perinatal period is a critical window in the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) paradigm, where early-life exposures can have profound and lasting impacts on an individual’s health trajectory. Conducting research in this field demands rigorous adherence to best practices to ensure the validity, reproducibility, and ethical integrity of findings. Moreover, demonstrating experimental rigor and translatability is essential for building public trust and informing policymakers, thereby enhancing the impact of research on health policies and interventions for service populations.

A successful DOHaD perinatal research cycle involves careful experimental design, meticulous execution, transparent reporting, and ethical considerations for both animal and human studies. By adhering to established guidelines and standards, researchers can assure stakeholders that their studies are conducted with the highest level of scientific excellence. This not only bolsters confidence among the public and policymakers but also ensures that research findings are applicable and beneficial to the communities they aim to serve.

The following resources are essential guides that offer comprehensive support throughout this research journey. They help scientists contribute valuable insights to the DOHaD community while upholding rigorous standards that enhance the credibility and translatability of their work.

1. Land Acknowledgment Resources

2. Rigor and Reproducibility – National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Extramural Research

  • Description: The NIH provides guidelines and training modules to enhance rigor and reproducibility in biomedical research. These resources cover experimental design, blinding, randomization, and statistical considerations.
  • Link: NIH Rigor and Reproducibility

3. Statistical Reporting

  • Description: Using best practices in statistical reporting is essential in biomedical and human cohort studies to ensure that findings are transparent, reproducible, and scientifically valid. Clear, standardized reporting of statistical methods allows other researchers to accurately interpret and replicate the study, which is critical for verifying results and advancing scientific knowledge. It also helps readers assess the robustness of the findings, recognize potential biases, and understand the statistical limitations, ultimately supporting evidence-based decision-making in healthcare and policy.
  • STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology): This guideline is widely used for reporting observational studies, such as cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. It includes recommendations on presenting statistical methods, confounder adjustments, and how results should be reported. STROBE Statement
  • CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials): Primarily for randomized controlled trials, CONSORT also offers valuable guidance for reporting statistical analysis details, including subgroup analysis, handling missing data, and sample size calculation. CONSORT Statement
  • SAMPL (Statistical Analyses and Methods in the Published Literature): SAMPL is a set of guidelines designed to help authors in the biomedical sciences report statistical analyses clearly. It covers various statistical practices, including hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, and regression analysis. SAMPL
  • ICMJE Recommendations: The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations on reporting statistical methods to ensure transparency and reproducibility, covering aspects like data integrity, analysis transparency, and appropriate statistical methods. The ICMJE Recommendations
  • ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments): For studies involving animal models, ARRIVE provides guidelines that also include best practices for reporting statistical methods in preclinical research. ARRIVE Guidelines

4. ARRIVE Guidelines 2.0 (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments)

  • Description: The ARRIVE guidelines offer a comprehensive checklist for reporting animal research. They aim to improve the transparency, reproducibility, and ethical standards of animal studies by providing guidance on experimental design, statistical analysis, and detailed reporting.
  • Link:  ARRIVE Guidelines

5. CONSORT Statement (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials)

  • Description: The CONSORT Statement is a set of recommendations for reporting randomized controlled trials involving human participants. It includes a 25-item checklist and flow diagram to ensure clarity and transparency in reporting, which facilitates critical appraisal and interpretation.
  • Link: CONSORT Statement

6. STROBE Guidelines (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology)

  • Description: STROBE provides guidance on reporting observational studies, including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies. These guidelines help researchers present their findings transparently, making it easier for others to assess the study’s validity.
  • Link: STROBE Statement

7. NC3Rs Experimental Design Assistant (EDA)

  • Description: The EDA is a free online tool that helps researchers design robust and reproducible experiments involving animals. It provides support on minimizing bias, determining sample size, and planning statistical analyses.
  • Link: NC3Rs EDA

8. Equator Network (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research)

  • Description: The Equator Network is an international initiative that provides a comprehensive list of reporting guidelines for health research. It assists researchers in selecting appropriate guidelines to improve the quality and transparency of their publications.
  • Link: Equator Network

9. SPIRIT Statement (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials)

  • Description: SPIRIT provides guidelines for drafting clinical trial protocols, ensuring that all essential elements are included. This is particularly useful for planning human intervention studies in DOHaD research.
  • Link: SPIRIT Statement

10. Data Sharing and Management (Biomedical) Research

  • Description: These guides discuss best practices for data management and sharing, highlighting common pitfalls and solutions. Proper data management is essential for transparency and reproducibility in DOHaD studies.
  • Link: NIH and CIHR

11. PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)

  • Description: PRISMA offers guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. These tools are valuable for DOHaD researchers synthesizing existing literature.
  • Link: PRISMA Statement

12. Equity in DOHaD – Resources and Tools

13. Sex and gender

  •  Description: Considering sex and gender in DOHaD studies is crucial because biological and social factors can differently impact developmental health outcomes in males and females. These distinctions influence disease risk, resilience, and response to environmental factors, making it essential to include sex and gender analyses for accurate, relevant findings that improve health outcomes across populations.
  • Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) Guidelines: Developed to ensure appropriate reporting of sex and gender in research, these guidelines assist authors and editors in integrating these considerations throughout the research process. Equator Network
  • Springer Nature’s Editorial Policies on Sex and Gender in Research: Springer encourages authors to follow the SAGER guidelines, emphasizing the careful use of sex and gender terms and the inclusion of relevant considerations in study design and reporting. Springer
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Training Modules: CIHR offers online training modules to help researchers integrate sex and gender considerations into health research, enhancing the quality and relevance of study outcomes. CIHR
  • NIH Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office Guidelines: The NIH provides guidelines for standardizing the collection of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation data to improve consistency and relevance in biomedical research. NIH Resource on Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

14. Authorship

By utilizing these resources, researchers can enhance the quality, ethical standards, and impact of their studies in the DOHaD field. Remember to check for the most recent updates or editions of these resources to stay current with evolving best practices.