Elizabeth Iorns argues that scientists feel pressure to publish many papers in high-profile journals, which sometimes leads to cutting corners or misconduct. Most scientific results cannot be reproduced, even those published in top journals. Iorns proposes creating a reproducibility culture where studies are independently validated and incentives exist to encourage open and rigorous research practices. Her organization, Science Exchange, facilitates matching studies to qualified providers to assess reproducibility in a blind manner under review from an expert advisory board.

1. Elizabeth Iorns, Ph.D.
CEO, Science Exchange
CREATING A
REPRODUCIBILITY
CULTURE

2. To survive professionally, scientists feel the need to publish as many papers as possible, and to get them into high-profile journals. And sometimes they cut corners or even commit misconduct to get there.
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Too many sloppy mistakes are creeping into scientific papers. Lab heads must look more rigorously at the data — and at themselves.
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This is one of medicine's dirty secrets: Most results, including those that appear in top-flight peer-reviewed journals, can't be reproduced.
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3. Separate the wheat from the chaff

4. Robust Research
Less Robust Research

5. We didn’t see that a target is more likely to be validated if it was reported in ten publications or in two publications
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY 10, 712 (SEPTEMBER 2011)

6. Either the results were reproducible and showed transferability in other models, or even a 1:1 reproduction of published experimental procedures revealed inconsistencies between published and in-house data
NATURE REVIEWS DRUG DISCOVERY 10, 712 (SEPTEMBER 2011)

9. HOW IT WORKS
1.Researchers submit studies for independent validation
2.Scientific Advisory Board reviews studies
3.Experiments are matched to qualified scientific service providers in a blind manner
4.Scientific Advisory Board assesses the reproducibility of the result

10. RESEARCHERS
Core
Facilities
ADVISORY
BOARD
INCENTIVES
Public Support

12. RESEARCHERS
Core
Facilities
ADVISORY BOARD
INCENTIVES
Public
Support

13. Scientific Advisory Board
George Robertson Dalhouise University
Elizabeth Iorns Science Exchange
John Ioannidis
Stanford University
Bernard Munos InnoThink
Brian Nosek University of Virginia
Heather Piwowar Duke University
Sitta Sittampalam
NIH NCATS
Victoria Stodden Columbia University
Bruce Booth Atlas Ventures
Lee Ellis MD Anderson

14. RESEARCHERS
Core
Facilities
ADVISORY BOARD
INCENTIVES
Public
Support

16. RESEARCHERS
Core Facilities
ADVISORY BOARD
INCENTIVES
Public
Support

17. INCENTIVES
Guaranteed publication in PLOS ONE Reproducibility Collection
Acknowledgement of reproduction in journals and online repositories
Certificate of Reproducibility to help with commercialization of research

18. RESEARCHERS
Core Facilities
ADVISORY
BOARD
INCENTIVES
Public Support

20. CREATING A REPRODUCIBILITY CULTURE team@reproducibilityinitiative.org