Strengthening Reproducibility Through Editorial Standards

Enhancing Editorial Practices for Transparent and Reliable Research

The Open Science to Increase Reproducibility in Science (OSIRIS) project has released a new Policy Brief for Journals and Publishers, highlighting how editorial and peer review practices can drive a shift toward more reproducible and trustworthy science.

Reproducibility is at the heart of scientific integrity, yet inconsistencies in journal policies, adherence monitoring, and automation tools continue to undermine progress. OSIRIS research suggests that editors, publishers, and peer reviewers play a crucial role in fostering a transparent research culture, but they require more robust tools and support to achieve this goal.

Evidence and Insights from the OSIRIS Project

Based on a systematic literature review, European researcher interviews, stakeholder focus groups, and a policy audit guided by the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) 2025 criteria, OSIRIS explored barriers and enablers of reproducibility in academic publishing.

An additional outcome of the study is the OSIRIS Observatory Dashboard, which was developed to monitor open science practices across published papers and evaluate the effectiveness of journal policies in real-time. Early findings reveal that:

  • Most journals now include data-sharing requirements, but few adopt or promote the broader TOP guidelines.
  • Peer reviewers are pivotal to ensuring reproducible research but are rarely given the resources or training to assess reproducibility criteria.
  • Editors cite resource limitations and the lack of reliable automation tools as barriers to verifying data, code, and reporting standards.
  • Automated tools used to assess compliance often show low diagnostic accuracy, highlighting an urgent need for standardisation of metadata and research outputs.

Key Recommendations for Journals and Publishers

To foster reproducibility and uphold trust in research, OSIRIS recommends that journals and publishers:

  • Implement adaptable TOP 2025 guidelines across all disciplines to align editorial policies with transparent and open research principles.
  • Promote structured article formats (e.g. Registered Reports, data-availability statements, and open-methods sections) to improve monitoring and comparability.
  • Support the development of automated tools that reliably detect adherence to open science standards.
  • Invest in reviewer training to build skills in evaluating data and code reproducibility.
  • Encourage collaboration between publishers and research institutions to streamline verification processes.

Together, these measures can move the publishing system from policy endorsement to policy implementation, a crucial step toward open, accountable, and reproducible science.

Read and download the full OSIRIS Policy Brief for Journals and Publishers HERE

About OSIRIS

OSIRIS (Open Science to Increase Reproducibility in Science) is an EU-funded project that explores systemic enablers of research reproducibility. It co-creates and tests evidence-based solutions with stakeholders to reform the research and innovation ecosystem, fostering transparency, collaboration, and trust in science.

Stay connected with OSIRIS as we continue to explore how open science practices can strengthen the foundations of reliable research. For news, upcoming events, and project updates, subscribe to our newsletter at https://osiris4r.eu/.

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OSIRIS “Creating Trust in Open Science & Reproducibility through Accessibility and Transparency!”