Practical Guide to Oxygen Evolution Research: Fundamentals, Experimental Workflows, and Cross-Disciplinary Materials Discovery

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is central to electrochemical energy conversion and provides a common platform for exploring catalytic concepts across diverse materials systems. While existing reviews primarily focus on specific catalyst families or advanced characterization techniques, practical guidance for researchers entering the field remains comparatively scarce. This review presents a practical framework that connects fundamental OER concepts with experimental workflows, benchmarking strategies, and application-oriented evaluation. It introduces the interdisciplinary materials landscape and an evidence-based framework for reaction-mechanism identification, followed by practical guidance on cell configuration, working-electrode preparation, reference- and counter-electrode selection, electrolyte control, electrochemical measurements, activity normalization, stability assessment, oxygen-product verification, and essential reporting practices. Representative catalyst families are discussed from the perspectives of working-state evolution, degradation processes, and evidence-based interpretation rather than as a simple catalogue of reported activities. Application-oriented sections further bridge laboratory catalyst screening with practical devices. By integrating fundamental understanding, experimental implementation, and cross-disciplinary materials exploration, this review aims to lower the practical barrier to entering OER research while encouraging researchers across materials science to contribute new materials, concepts, and design strategies. We hope that such cross-disciplinary integration will broaden the OER materials landscape and accelerate the discovery of practically useful catalysts.