Reproducibility is essential for Research and Innovation (R&I) as it validates or corrects study outcomes, leading to higher quality, more reliable, and cost-effective research. Yet, only a fraction of studies can be reproduced due to constant innovation demands, publication pressure, poor reporting, and assessment systems focused on quantity over quality. With limited incentives, the burden currently falls on researchers, and proposed improvements remain untested. To restore trust in science, a cultural and systemic shift is needed. OSIRIS aims to drive this by identifying drivers, testing evidence-based solutions, engaging stakeholders, and embedding reproducibility in research design, with the ambition of making it widely accepted, practiced, and recognized globally by 2026.
Objectives:
-To understand the underlying drivers and effective interventions that increase reproducibility at funding, publishing, university, and researcher-level using systematic literature review, evidence mapping, policy audits, and interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders. Results will be distributed through an open knowledge base and Open Access (OA) publications to optimally reach global academia.
-To develop and test effective, evidence-based solutions for the reproducibility crisis across various stakeholders in policy and research practice by utilising well-controlled Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) rather than mere pilots, develop dashboards of indicators of reproducible research practices, and providing funders, publishers, researchers, and peer reviewers with guidance for judging reproducibility.
-To embed reproducibility in the strategy and design of research projects by informing researchers and convincing funders and journals to include measures and preconditions on reproducibility in their assessment of project proposals and articles.
-To create a collaborative community of stakeholders that will aid in educating and implementing better reproducible research practice using our results to create guidelines and training on how researchers can embed reproducibility in the design of their research and disseminate these widely, thereby increase the reproducibility of their scientific research. Additionally, we will perform quality audits at project and output level to test these novel practices.
Our interdisciplinary consortium combines expertise in Open Science, reproducibility, empirical research, and RCT interventions with strong stakeholder engagement to deliver evidence-based, widely supported solutions. Leveraging our broad network of reproducibility leaders, journals, funders, and policy officers, we will ensure broad uptake of OSIRIS results across scientific fields and institutions.
