The difficulty reproducing research data has been at the center of the attention in the specialized and lay press for a number of years and is more recently attracting the attention of the Administration and Congress. Various reports indicate the difficulty of reproducing research data as cutting across all areas of research, although it has been studied mostly in the clinical and pre-clinical domains. The magnitude of the problem of reproducing research data described in respectable published reports, is disturbing and could possibly undermine scientists’ credibility.
In 2014, the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) convened a task force to examine the difficulty of reproducing research data in life science research, with particular attention to basic research. The Task Force issued a white paper expressing 13 recommendations, which fall into two broad categories: engaging with existing efforts, and initiating new activities.
ASCB Task Force Charge
Task Force Members
Background Reading
Results of ASCB Member Survey on Reproducibility
Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOPS) Guidelines
NIGMS Clearinghouse for Training Modules to Enhance Data Reproducibility
U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Web Portal on Rigor and Reproducibility
Center for Open Science