Table 2 All extracted information that relates to study validity. If the validity metadata are aligned with a CRED quality criteria [42], the associated CRED number is provided. The percentage of articles meeting the validity criteria is shown overall, and for each study motivation. NA indicated that the criterion was not part of CRED, but an additional criterion we extracted information about
Validity criteria | CRED | Overall | Environ | Medical | Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A guideline or modified guideline was followed | 1 | 15% | 21.8% | 6.0% | 6.4% |
The test was performed under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) conditions | 2 | 0.7% | 1.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% |
Survival, growth and/or reproduction of the test organism(s) was reported | 3 | 39.7% | 53.5% | 26.1% | 15.3% |
The test substance is identified with a CAS number | 5 | 24.8% | 36.7% | 10/7% | 7.0% |
The purity of the test substance was reported | 6 | 25.4% | 38.8% | 9.4% | 5.7% |
Organism(s) life stage is known and reported | 8 | 83.4% | 82.9% | 91.0% | 73.5% |
Organism(s) sex is known and reported | 8 | 53.5% | 49.6% | 59.0% | 56.8% |
Test organism source is reported | 9 | 84.4% | 86.9% | 78.8% | 84.5% |
Information provided regarding feeding | 11 | 79.5% | 84.3% | 68.2% | 80.4% |
Information provided regarding water characteristics (e.g. temperature, pH, oxygen content) | 11 | 89.5% | 92.7% | 88.5% | 80.3% |
Information provided regarding light/dark conditions | 11 | 83.9% | 84.1% | 85.9% | 80.3% |
Exposure minimum duration is defined | 14 | 94.1% | 95.6% | 90.0% | 96.7% |
Exposure maximum duration is defined | 14 | 94.5% | 96.3% | 89.8% | 97.0% |
The concentration of the test substance is verified in the water (waterborne exposures only) | 15 | 20.6% | 35.8% | 2.5% | 2.7% |
The concentration of the test substance is verified in the tissue of the organism (waterborne exposures only) | 15 | 8.9% | 13.4% | 4.2% | 4.7% |
Employs randomisation (pseudo-randomisation) of treatment allocation | NA | 40.2% | 44.9% | 32.2% | 36.7% |
Experimental blinding was performed | NA | 17.0% | 14.7% | 18.9% | 21.5% |
Methods for scoring behavioural endpoints described | NA | 77.3% | 76.0% | 78.5% | 79.4% |
Conflict of interest statement is made in the article (with or without conflict identified) | NA | 54.8% | 50.2% | 72.1% | 44.3% |