8 replies to this topic

[lapooh]

Does anyone have a clear idea or current clear guidlines on what all;if anything; is acceptable to do with image editing softwares on your western blot images? Removing background, adjusting contrast brightness, etc....is any of these acceptable?

Thanks in advance !

[pcrman]

Who cares? We see lots of Western blots in Science and Nature papers with totally white background. There must be some thing the authors try to hide by adjust the backgroun to white such as cut-and-pasted bands, etc. If I were a reviewer of such paper, I would demand on seeing the unprocessed images.

[lapooh]

pcrman, on Jun 20 2009, 04:05 PM, said:

Who cares? We see lots of Western blots in Science and Nature papers with totally white background. There must be some thing the authors try to hide by adjust the backgroun to white such as cut-and-pasted bands, etc. If I were a reviewer of such paper, I would demand on seeing the unprocessed images.

Got concerned after reading this :'
http://blog.lib.umn.edu/bgleason/pt/2008/1...e_of_the_s.html

[HomeBrew]

The general rule is that if you adjust things like contrast, you must do it to the whole image at once -- no selective adjustments or tuning up individual sections...

[Nrelo]

How about trimming the image?

[HomeBrew]

There's a pretty good overview of the ethical manipulation of images here. Nature's policy on digital images is here.

Basically, keep a copy of the original, unaltered image for use if questions arise, and do not alter the image in a manner that would cause others to believe as true that which is not true.

[pcrman]

I know that every journal has the rule that any adjustment of images should be equally applied to all samples, but such rule is usually not enforced by the journals. If Western blotting bands have white backgrand, there is no way of judging whatever manipulations have been applied to the image. Such images are so common in Journals including high tier ones. An example is here http://www.sciencema...l/324/5932/1334

[pito]

pcrman, on Jun 21 2009, 10:56 PM, said:

I know that every journal has the rule that any adjustment of images should be equally applied to all samples, but such rule is usually not enforced by the journals. If Western blotting bands have white backgrand, there is no way of judging whatever manipulations have been applied to the image. Such images are so common in Journals including high tier ones. An example is here http://www.sciencema...l/324/5932/1334

I am afraid many of us cant see your example because we have no acces to the article.

[rajgene]

pito, on Jun 21 2009, 01:52 PM, said:

pcrman, on Jun 21 2009, 10:56 PM, said:

I know that every journal has the rule that any adjustment of images should be equally applied to all samples, but such rule is usually not enforced by the journals. If Western blotting bands have white backgrand, there is no way of judging whatever manipulations have been applied to the image. Such images are so common in Journals including high tier ones. An example is here http://www.sciencema...l/324/5932/1334

I am afraid many of us cant see your example because we have no acces to the article.

here is that paper. pcrman has a valid point here.

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•  blots_with_white_background_paper.pdf (500.27K)
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Edited by rajgene, 01 July 2009 - 06:16 AM.