Rigor, reproducibility, replicability, and transparency are critical to the advancement of research and are key topics being discussed within such agencies as the NIH, NSF, and other funding agencies, as well as multiple professional societies. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a new census study report in 2019 titled Reproducibility and Replicability in Science. The NIH has updated their grant application instructions and review language in order to promote these tenets of rigorous, reproducible, and inclusive research. NSF produced a document highlighting the need for data transparency and noting such cultural issues as lack of publication of studies yielding negative results or replications of past studies.
With this growing concern about the irreproducibility and lack of rigor or transparency of research in many fields, this will be a conversation on possible methods and tools available to UC researchers noting that one-size does not fit all. Countless resources can be squandered on experiments that are poorly designed, recorded, analyzed, and/or reported. What are the consequences, what are the key factors, and what tools are available to promote rigorous, reproducible research? Examples across several fields will be shared by participants.