Homogenize "Subject" Nomenclature

[tsalo]

We are currently using the terms “participant” and “subject” interchangeably. I propose we make the names homogeneous. In order to afford better extendability with preclinical research, the term “subject” would be significantly more apt.
GitHub Issue: bids-standard/bids-specification#384

This change would include renaming the participants.tsv file to subjects.tsv, and the participant_id column in said file to subject.

Original authors: @TheChymera

[TheChymera]

@tsalo thank you for bringing this up. While the urgency from my side (and that of other preclinical researchers using SAMRI) has decreased following our begrudging adoption of this element of the standard, I would again recommend this as a worthwhile change.

[HenkMutsaerts]

I agree with this point, just brought this up with @Remi-Gau who pointed me to this issue (thanks!).
Though note that some prefer participant over subject as the latter can be derogatory. I understand that participant is tricky with preclinical research, perhaps sample would be most neutral (and generalizable) but subject would be OK with me at least.

[yarikoptic]

In the light of the BEP032 (attn @bids-standard/bep032 and here #38) for animal ephys subject would also be more appropriate. So I think it is a valid target for the "immediate" BIDS 2.0 with easy "auto upgrade" path.

[SylvainTakerkart]

I agree with this point, just brought this up with @Remi-Gau who pointed me to this issue (thanks!). Though note that some prefer participant over subject as the latter can be derogatory. I understand that participant is tricky with preclinical research, perhaps sample would be most neutral (and generalizable) but subject would be OK with me at least.

just for info, "sample" is already used in BIDS (for pre-clinical research, i.e to specify that several "samples", e.g tissue slices, can be extracted from the same "subject" (animal)...

[yarikoptic]

FTR, another definitely non-participant'y and even overall inanimate use-case came up yesterday in

• Add in vitro support NeurodataWithoutBorders/nwbinspector#431

so there "subject" IMHO still works as (inanimate) "subject of study".