Northwestern Publication Guidelines for work done in the Biological Imaging Facility – read more <here>.
Personnel in core facilities provide essential services for their users and it is important to recognize their contributions to the scientific advancement of the projects. The type of recognition that is most appropriate may be different for individual projects, depending on the contribution that core facility personnel provides.
Important reasons for acknowledging contributions from core facilities in publications, by co-authorship or by formal mention in the acknowledgments section, include:
1. Core facility personnel are scientists. When they make a substantial intellectual and/or experimental contribution to a publication they deserve to be acknowledged just as any other co-author.
2. The existence of core facilities depends in part on proper acknowledgment in publications. This is an important metric of the value of most core facilities. Proper acknowledgment of core facilities enables them to obtain financial and other support so that they may continue to provide their essential services in the best ways possible. It also helps core personnel to advance in their careers, adding to the overall health of the core facility.
Each Core Facility has the Research Resource Identification (RRID) number to be identified and tagged with unique, citable identifiers. These RRID tags make it easier to cite a facility and then to search publications associated with the core.
BIF RRID to be included in Acknowledgements: RRID:SCR_017767
Acknowledgement example:
Microscopy was performed at the Biological Imaging Facility at Northwestern University (RRID:SCR_017767), graciously supported by the Chemistry for Life Processes Institute, the NU Office for Research, the Department of Molecular Biosciences and the Rice Foundation**.
**Include if the Leica SP8 confocal or the Lionheart microscope were used.
Please contact BIF staff with any questions (email) .