BrRN x JoVE: a shared mission for science reproducibility

When Dr Jan Lötvall’s lab published their game-changing RNA isolation method, the University of Gothenburg researchers faced a new challenge: a high volume of queries from scientists trying to run the complex new protocol in their own labs. By creating a video with JoVE, the authors enabled others to visualize every intricate detail of the experiment. Today, their video article has almost 100,000 views and over 600 citations.

Reproducibility is the foundation of trustworthy science. Yet many researchers face difficulties replicating experiments described in traditional articles, where important details are sometimes left out.

JoVE was created to address this challenge. Since its founding, it has grown into the world’s largest scientific video collection, all designed to make methods clearer and more accessible, credible, and reproducible.

With JoVE recently joining forces with the Brazilian Reproducibility Network as a partner, let’s look at how the company began, how its mission has evolved, and its potential impact on the future of Brazilian and global science.

An animation by JoVE.

A New Way to Share Methods

The idea for JoVE came in 2006 from Moshe Pritsker, then a PhD student at Princeton and now the company’s CEO. He was attempting to conduct a new stem cell experiment but couldn’t succeed based on the written description alone. 

With his lab able to fund international travel, he visited the group that had first published the method. After a few weeks of hands-on training, he returned with a deeper understanding of the technique and the realization that advancing science shouldn’t hinge on travel budgets or rare chances to train with the original authors—everyone should be able to see exactly how a method is done.

This experience sparked a new idea: to publish scientific methods not only in text but also in video. By showing the procedure step by step, the small but crucial details that determine success would be preserved.

As Moshe later explained, “Confusion over the smallest details can result in months of lost effort.” To solve this, he created JoVE, the first peer-reviewed science video journal.

Building a Global Video Library

From a single journal, JoVE has grown into a library of more than 26,000 videos, including over 18,000 research articles. More than 1,000 new peer-reviewed video articles are added each year.

JoVE Journal, which is indexed in all major databases, covers a wide range of STEM disciplines, from biology and chemistry to nursing and bioengineering. The journal follows a hybrid publication policy: while all content is available through institutional subscriptions, authors can also choose an open access option to make their video articles freely accessible worldwide. This route aligns with Open Access values by promoting global visibility and transparency of science.

Once a manuscript has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication, JoVE offers interested authors the possibility of including a video. The team develops a script with the authors and films in their lab or polishes submitted footage. A global network of videographers, editors, and voice-over specialists ensures every video is scientifically accurate and professionally produced. 

Alongside the journal, the Encyclopedia of Experiments is a collection of comprehensive videos of advanced techniques for researchers in academia and industry.

JoVE also supports education through videos designed for undergraduate students. Animated lessons and live-action demonstrations help them understand complex concepts and prepare for lab work.

Why Video Matters for Reproducibility

Reproducibility often fails because written methods cannot capture every detail. A slight nuance in technique, the way equipment is positioned, or the pace of adding a reagent can mean the difference between success and failure. 

Filmed demonstrations capture subtle actions and experimental conditions that are hard to describe in text. The result is a clearer, more transparent record that can be replicated. “Sometimes you’re reading directions, and the words just don’t make sense,” says Jeanette Moore, researcher and lab manager at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “That is the value of JoVE, actually seeing how to insert a needle in a laboratory animal before you do it, so you don’t have to do it twice.” 

When experienced researchers leave a lab, their skills often disappear with them. Videos can act as a long-term archive. Recording methods ensures that knowledge is preserved and available to the next generation of scientists.

Reliable science also depends on accessibility. Often, researchers and students struggle with dense, technical language in traditional journals. JoVE’s platform reduces this barrier by pairing complex descriptions with clear visual demonstrations, as well as subtitles in 14+ languages (including Brazilian Portuguese) for educational content. JoVE’s translation efforts are continually expanding.

Education and Training at Scale

Reproducibility does not begin in research laboratories. It depends on how students and early-career scientists are trained. JoVE videos demonstrate core concepts and techniques clearly, giving students a shared knowledge base before they even enter the lab. 

This helps reduce errors and supports reproducible practices from the start of their careers. Moreover, they’re able to connect abstract concepts with real-life applications by seeing what happens in today’s research labs.

Institutions that integrate JoVE into their lab training report accelerated learning and reduced costs. By standardizing training, researchers across institutions and countries are able to start off with the same foundation in reproducible methods, leveling the playing field for those in resource-constrained environments.

Shared Goals with BrRN

The BrRN was created to make science in Brazil more trustworthy through rigorous, responsible, and collaborative practices. A core part of its mission is providing training and educational resources to researchers across disciplines.

JoVE’s history and mission align closely with these goals. Both organizations are committed to making methods clearer, reducing barriers to reliable research, and strengthening reproducibility across the global scientific community. By working together, BrRN and JoVE can provide researchers with new tools to ensure that methods are transparent and reproducible across institutions.

As the first step of this new collaboration, JoVE is providing 6-month access to 60 members of BrRN’s immediate network. This pilot will be supported by a series of webinars and training sessions. The goal is to demonstrate how video-based methods drive reproducibility in Brazil and elevate initiatives that promote rigorous science both locally and globally.

As part of this collaboration, we’d also like to highlight that JoVE is already available at several major Brazilian universities, including the University of São Paulo (USP, São Paulo State University (UNESP), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), and Goiás State University (UEG). This means many researchers in the country already have direct access and can take advantage of JoVE’s extensive resources for scientific research.

Conclusion

The story of Dr. Lötvall’s lab shows how powerful video can be in turning a promising discovery into a widely applied method. 

Irreproducible findings can have a far-reaching ripple effect in science, affecting future research studies and scientific decision-making. JoVE was founded with reproducibility at its core. By pairing text with video, it addressed a fundamental gap in scientific communication and created a resource now used worldwide. 

The partnership with BrRN builds on this foundation, bringing new opportunities for Brazilian researchers to access, apply, and share reproducible methods. Reliable science is a global priority, and collaborations like this show how we can work together to achieve it.

Learn more about JoVE and explore how video supports reproducible research:https://jove.com/research 

Disclaimer: This text was written by JoVE and revised by the BrRN.