A supplier name tells a reader where material was obtained, but it rarely identifies the exact product and lot used. A publication should connect those identifiers to the experiment while preserving distinctions between seller, manufacturer and any external testing organisation.
Name the organisation in its actual role
Elsevier’s Key Resources Table guidance separates the resource description, source and identifier, asking authors to name the provider and include catalogue identifiers where available. Its structured approach helps prevent a company name from standing in for a complete material description.Elsevier — STAR methods: Key Resources Table (opens in a new tab)
If material was bought through a distributor, report the source accurately and identify the manufacturer separately where that information is known and relevant. Do not infer manufacturing responsibility from the name on an invoice.
For material received from another research team, identify that source and the associated material record or publication as appropriate. A local collaborator’s code should not be presented as a commercial catalogue number.
Avoid promotional additions such as “leading supplier” in the source statement. The reporting task is to identify the material’s origin, not endorse a business.
Preserve the identifiers readers need
The STAR Methods table instructions also ask for a lot number or clone identity where applicable and available, in addition to catalogue numbers or other identifiers. A catalogue entry and a lot therefore provide complementary detail.STAR Methods — Key Resources Table instructions (opens in a new tab)
| Field | Reporting purpose |
|---|---|
| Supplier or provider | Identify where the study obtained the material |
| Catalogue identifier | Distinguish the supplied product or variant |
| Lot or batch | Connect the supply to lot-specific documents |
| Local material ID | Link detailed experimental records where useful |
| Missing identifier | State that it was unavailable rather than inventing one |
Copy identifiers from the study records, preserving meaningful punctuation and prefixes. A typographical change can point to a different product or make the identifier impossible to locate.
If the source used separate product and pack-size codes, include enough information to identify the supplied form. A general family code may not distinguish a labelled or modified variant.
Explain how several lots relate to the data
When more than one lot was used, a compact table can connect each lot to experimental runs, figures or study phases. A list of lot numbers without that mapping may leave an important change hidden.
For a hypothetical study, “lot A supplied runs 1–4; lot B supplied runs 5–8” is more informative than “lots A and B were used”. The mapping does not claim that any difference between runs was caused by the lot.
If several materials share the same short lot string, retain their supplier and product context. Lot numbers should not be assumed globally unique across unrelated organisations.
Reconcile identifiers before submission
Compare the methods text, resource table, certificate filenames and deposited metadata. Resolve inconsistent codes using the original receipt and material records rather than guessing which version looks right.
If a supplier corrected an identifier, preserve the correction’s source and explain the relationship where necessary for readers to follow older documents. Do not leave two unexplained codes attached to one material.
The final source statement should make the actual supply traceable while remaining proportionate to the evidence. Clear identifiers strengthen the research record without substituting for a molecular definition or a measurement.
Sources and further detail
- Elsevier — STAR methods: Key Resources Table (opens in a new tab)
Publisher guidance inspected for separate source and identifier fields. No universal journal requirement is inferred.
- STAR Methods — Key Resources Table instructions (opens in a new tab)
Official table instructions checked for lot or clone information where applicable and available. Same guidance family treated as one source budget; only narrow reporting points are paraphrased.
Sources checked 20 September 2026. Reporting examples are illustrative unless explicitly identified as supplied-document transcriptions. This article has not undergone independent scientific peer review.