title: Guidelines for measuring and reporting environmental parameters for experiments in greenhouses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of appropriate, accurate measurement and reporting of environmental parameters in plant sciences is a significant aspect of quality assurance for all researchers and their research. There is a clear need for ensuring research across the world can be compared, understood and where necessary replicated by fellow researchers. A common set of guidelines to educate, assist and encourage comparativeness is of great importance. On the other hand, the level of effort and attention to detail by an individual researcher should be commensurate with the particular research being conducted. For example, a researcher focusing on interactions of light and temperature should measure all relevant parameters and report a measurement summary that includes sufficient detail allowing for replication. Such detail may be less relevant when the impact of environmental parameters on plant growth and development is not the main research focus. However, it should be noted that the environmental experience of a plant during production can have significant impact when subsequent experiments investigate plants at a molecular, biochemical or genetic level or where species interactions are considered. Thus, researchers are encouraged to make a critical assessment of what parameters are of primary importance in their research and these parameters should be measured and reported.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This paper brings together a collection of parameters that the authors, as members of International Committee on Controlled Environment Guidelines (ICCEG) in consultation with members of our three parent organizations, believe constitute those which should be recorded and reported when publishing scientific data from experiments in greenhouses. It provides recommendations to end users on when, how and where these parameters should be measured along with the appropriate internationally standardized units that should be used.
authors.affiliation: NCERA-101, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Both
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.affiliation: CEUG, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holroyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Incoll
authors.affiliation: NCERA-101, Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lefsrud
authors.affiliation: CEUG, The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, AB15 8QH Scotland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitkin
keywords: Data sharing; International standards; Quality assurance; Science communication