thedixitjain STAR Methods (cell-star-methods)
When to trigger
- The manuscript has a free-text Methods section (Cell requires STAR Methods).
- There is no Key Resources Table, or reagents lack identifiers/RRIDs/catalog numbers.
- The Resource Availability block is missing one of its three required subsections.
- Statistics are scattered in legends with no consolidated analysis section.
STAR Methods = Structured, Transparent, Accessible Reporting. It is a Cell Press signature and is mandatory. This is the single most important Cell-specific deliverable.
Mandatory STAR Methods structure (exact order)
- Key Resources Table (KRT)
- Resource Availability — three required subsections: a. Lead Contact b. Materials Availability c. Data and Code Availability
- Experimental Model and Subject Details (or Experimental Model and Study Participant Details)
- Method Details
- Quantification and Statistical Analysis (QSA)
Some versions add Additional Resources at the end. Always confirm the current Cell Press STAR Methods structure and headings.
1. Key Resources Table (KRT)
A structured table listing every reagent and resource, grouped by category, each with its source and an identifier (RRID, catalog #, accession, DOI, or repository link).
| REAGENT or RESOURCE | SOURCE | IDENTIFIER |
|---|---|---|
| Antibodies | ||
| Anti-X (clone, host) | Vendor / lab | Cat# ; RRID:AB__ |
| Bacterial and Virus Strains | ||
| Biological Samples | ||
| Chemicals, Peptides, Recombinant Proteins | ||
| Critical Commercial Assays | ||
| Deposited Data | ||
| RNA-seq, this paper | This paper | GEO: GSE______ |
| Structure, this paper | This paper | PDB: ______ |
| Experimental Models: Cell Lines | ||
| Experimental Models: Organisms/Strains | ||
| Oligonucleotides | ||
| Recombinant DNA (plasmids) | Addgene #______ | |
| Software and Algorithms | RRID:SCR______ / DOI | |
| Other |
Rules:
- Every antibody, cell line, strain, plasmid, chemical, kit, oligo, dataset, and software package appears.
- Antibodies carry a catalog # and RRID where available.
- Cell lines and organisms identify the source and validation/authentication.
- Deposited data list the accession/DOI for this paper's data (see
cell-data). - Software lists version and an identifier (RRID:SCR___ or DOI).
- Custom code points to its repository + archived DOI.
2. Resource Availability (three required subsections)
- Lead Contact — one named corresponding author who fields resource/reagent requests, with email. (Cell typically requires exactly one Lead Contact.)
- Materials Availability — how unique reagents (plasmids, cell lines, antibodies, mouse lines) are shared, via Addgene/repository or under an MTA; or state "This study did not generate new unique reagents."
- Data and Code Availability — the three-bullet statement (data / code / additional information), each with a sentence (built in
cell-data).
All three subsections must be present even when the answer is "none/not applicable."
3. Experimental Model and Subject Details
Organisms, strains, cell lines (sex, age, source, passage), patient/participant details (with ethics approvals and consent), housing, husbandry, and authentication/mycoplasma testing. State IRB/IACUC approvals and protocol numbers here.
4. Method Details
Step-by-step procedures in enough detail to reproduce, organized by technique with subheadings, referencing reagents by their KRT entries. Include constructs, conditions, instrument settings, and analysis pipelines.
5. Quantification and Statistical Analysis (QSA)
A consolidated section: for each quantified result, the statistical test, definition of n and what it represents, dispersion (SD/SEM/CI), significance thresholds, software used, and how outliers/exclusions were handled. Statistics stated in figure legends must be consistent with QSA.
Output format
【KRT present】 yes/no — categories covered; antibodies w/ Cat#+RRID; deposited data w/ accession
【Resource Availability】 Lead Contact ☐ / Materials Availability ☐ / Data & Code Availability ☐
【Exp. Model & Subject Details】 organisms/lines/participants + ethics (IRB/IACUC)? yes/no
【Method Details】 reproducible, KRT-linked? yes/no
【QSA】 per-result test + n-definition + dispersion + software? yes/no
【Gaps】 [...]
【Next】 cell-data
Anti-patterns
- Do not submit a free-text Methods section — Cell requires STAR Methods.
- Do not omit RRIDs/catalog numbers for antibodies and software.
- Do not drop any of the three Resource Availability subsections.
- Do not leave statistics only in legends — consolidate in QSA.
- Do not forget to list this paper's deposited data with accessions in the KRT.
The exact STAR Methods headings and KRT categories are set by Cell Press — confirm against the current STAR Methods author guidelines.
Source: brycewang-stanford/Awesome-Journal-Skills → Cell-Skills/skills/cell-star-methods/SKILL.md