Print this and tick every line before day one.
- [ ] There is a negative control (no treatment).
- [ ] There is a positive control, or I can justify in one sentence why none exists.
- [ ] If a solvent or carrier is used, a vehicle control receives it at the same concentration.
- [ ] Control and treatment units are handled identically — same times, same room, same person.
- [ ] Units were assigned to groups at random, using a random number generator.
- [ ] Group sizes are equal, or the imbalance is deliberate and recorded.
- [ ] Measurements are taken blind, or the outcome is fully objective (an instrument reading).
- [ ] The control is measured at every time point the treatment is, not just at the end.
- [ ] Everything held constant is written into the protocol with a number and a unit.
- [ ] Someone else has read the protocol and looked for differences between groups.