Enhancing reproducible research practices

Related guidelines:

Researchers are responsible for putting the fundamental values and norms of research into practice and advocating for them. Education in the principles of good research begins at the earliest possible stage in academic teaching and research training. Researchers at all career levels regularly update their knowledge about the standards of good research practice and the current state of the art.

Experienced and early career researchers support each other in a process of continuous mutual learning and ongoing training and maintain a regular dialogue.

The heads of HEIs and non-HEI research institutions create the basic framework for research. They are responsible for ensuring adherence to and the promotion of good practice, and for appropriate career support for all researchers. The heads of research institutions guarantee the necessary conditions to enable researchers to comply with legal and ethical standards. The basic framework includes clear written policies and procedures for staff selection and development as well as for the support of early career researchers and equal opportunities.

The head of each HEI and non-HEI research institution is responsible for ensuring that an appropriate organisational structure is in place at the in- stitution. He or she makes certain that the tasks of leadership, supervision, quality assurance and conflict management are clearly allocated in accordance with the size of individual research work units and suitably communicated to members and employees.

With regard to staff selection and development, due consideration is given to gender equality and diversity. The relevant processes are transparent and avoid implicit bias as much as possible. Suitable supervisory structures and policies are established for early career researchers. Honest career advice, training opportunities and mentoring are offered to researchers and research support staff.

The head of a research work unit is responsible for the entire unit. Collabo- ration within the unit is designed such that the group as a whole can perform its tasks, the necessary cooperation and coordination can be achieved, and all members understand their roles, rights and duties. The leadership role includes ensuring adequate individual supervision of early career researchers, integrated in the overall institutional policy, as well as career development for researchers and research support staff. Suitable organisational measures are in place at the level of the individual unit and of the leadership of the institution to prevent the abuse of power and exploitation of dependent relationships.

The size and the organisation of the unit are designed to allow leadership tasks, particularly skills training, research support and supervisory duties, to be performed appropriately. The performance of leadership tasks is associated with a corresponding responsibility. Researchers and research support staff benefit from a balance of support and personal responsibility appropriate to their career level. They are given adequate status with corresponding rights of participation. Through gradually increasing autonomy, they are empowered to shape their career.

Researchers carry out each step of the research process lege artis. When research findings are made publicly available (in the narrower sense of pub- lication, but also in a broader sense through other communication channels), the quality assurance mechanisms used are always explained. This applies especially when new methods are developed.

Continuous quality assurance during the research process includes, in particular, compliance with subject-specific standards and established methods, processes such as equipment calibration, the collection, processing and analysis of research data, the selection and use of research software, software development and programming, and the keeping of laboratory notebooks.

If researchers have made their findings publicly available and subsequently become aware of inconsistencies or errors in them, they make the necessary corrections. If the inconsistencies or errors constitute grounds for retracting a publication, the researchers will promptly request the publisher, infrastructure provider, etc. to correct or retract the publication and make a corresponding announcement. The same applies if researchers are made aware of such inconsistencies or errors by third parties.

The origin of the data, organisms, materials and software used in the research process is disclosed and the reuse of data is clearly indicated; original sources are cited. The nature and the scope of research data generated during the research process are described. Research data are handled in accordance with the requirements of the relevant subject area. The source code of publicly available software must be persistent, citable and documented. Depending on the particular subject area, it is an essential part of quality assurance that results or findings can be replicated or confirmed by other researchers (for example with the aid of a detailed description of materials and methods).

The reproducibility or replicability of results is a fundamental quality criterion in many areas of research. In order to make scientific studies or experiments reproducible or replicable, Guideline 12(interner Link) requires transparent information to be provided so that the methodology in question can be understood.

The heads of research institutions (or research infrastructure institutions) have an important coordinating role to play in supporting reproducible research practices. Guideline 3(interner Link) specifies that this is where the organisational responsibility lies for establishing and maintaining quality assurance systems. Reproducible research practices can be systematically enhanced by applying appropriate organisational measures, something that also falls within the area of responsibility of the heads of individual research work units (Guideline 4(interner Link)).

Relevant aspects include the following:

Provision of tools
Education and training measures
Incentives
Best Practice and review, feedback, advice, as well as
Guidelines and procedures that support research practice regarding the reproducibility of the results

In order to provide support for research institutions in fulfilling this management task, detailed information and materials for self-evaluation on the part of institutions and research units have been developed through a project run as part of the initiative Knowledge Exchange.

On this topic see also

DFG statement on the replicability of research results(interner Link)

FAIR Data and Software supporting Reproducible Research (FDSR)(externer Link)

Barker, Michelle, Chue Hong, Neil (2024): Approaches to scaling up reproducibility in research organisations(externer Link)

Enhancing reproducible research practices

Professional ethics

Organisational responsibility of heads of research institutions

Responsibility of the heads of research work units

Cross-phase quality assurance

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Enhancing reproducible research practices

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