Best practices in stem cell research start with confidence in the provenance of pluripotent stem cell lines including their origin and history, details about cells’ source, derivation and propagation methods, and consent processes. Ensuring accuracy and transparency of provenance-related information is crucial for promoting practices that fulfill principles associated with scientific integrity including methodological rigor and the ethical use of stem cells. However, there is considerable evidence about the lack of reliability of provenance across locales globally and in Australia associated with historic stem cell lines due to inconsistencies and gaps in standardization of practices by research communities in this space. Greater researcher recognition of historic and current problems with scientific practices is required, so this situation does not become an academic integrity problem or viewed as fraud, and to ensure that science can consistently build on past findings and avoid its own 'replication crisis.' Using qualitative and publication analysis data from Australian stem cell research, this paper argues that stem cell registries are critical for the standardization of practices required for the field, and to advance translation from basic research to clinical contexts with confidence. We make a series of proposals regarding best practices and policies in this domain with implications for other fields, particularly those with rapidly emerging technologies and that are attempting to translate from basic to clinical settings. Culture change will be the most important lever to foster trust amongst stem cell researchers, researchers from other field, and publics including donors and patients.