  Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) appear to be a common feature observed in
the light curves of both solar and stellar flares. However, their
quasi-periodic nature, along with the fact that they can be small in amplitude
and short-lived, makes QPPs difficult to unequivocally detect. In this paper,
we test the strengths and limitations of state-of-the-art methods for detecting
QPPs using a series of hare-and-hounds exercises. The hare simulated a set of
flares, both with and without QPPs of a variety of forms, while the hounds
attempted to detect QPPs in blind tests. We use the results of these exercises
to create a blueprint for anyone who wishes to detect QPPs in real solar and
stellar data. We present eight clear recommendations to be kept in mind for
future QPP detections, with the plethora of solar and stellar flare data from
new and future satellites. These recommendations address the key pitfalls in
QPP detection, including detrending, trimming data, accounting for colored
noise, detecting stationary-period QPPs, detecting QPPs with nonstationary
periods, and ensuring that detections are robust and false detections are
minimized. We find that QPPs can be detected reliably and robustly by a variety
of methods, which are clearly identified and described, if the appropriate care
and due diligence are taken.
