Moving to Open Science

Series Editor: Georgia Richards Open and transparent research embodies good research practices by opening up participation in, and access to, the evidence lifecycle. It covers a wide range of practices and principles related to how research is carried out, including study preregistration; the sharing of data, code, and study materials; and widening dissemination through pre-prints, lay summaries, open access, and tools for patients and the public. This series provides a variety of articles on the theories and tools to improve the openness and transparency of health and medical research. Research Methods and Reporting: Registration of health and medical research Aidan G Cashin, Georgia C Richards, Nicholas J DeVito, David T Mellor, Hopin Lee This paper describes how researchers can register their research and outlines possible barriers and challenges in doing so. Widespread adoption of research registration can reduce research waste and improve evidence-informed clinical and policy decision-making. Research Methods and Reporting: Sharing study materials in health and medical research Nicholas J DeVito, Caroline Morton, Aidan Gregory Cashin, Georgia C Richards, Hopin Lee This article explores the challenges and benefits of sharing diverse study materials in biomedical research, addressing confidentiality concerns, existing repositories, and emphasising the need for collaborative efforts among stakeholders. Analysis: Responsible dissemination of health and medical research: some guidance points Raffaella Ravinetto and Jerome Amir Singh Ravinetto and Singh argue that better practices can be implemented when disseminating research findings through abstracts, preprints, peer-reviewed publications, press releases and social media Opinion: Plain language summaries: enhancing patient-centred care and improving accessibility of health research Paula Riganti and Annette Marie McKinnon Directing clinical research information to patients faces barriers such as communication clarity and health literacy. Solutions include creating plain language summaries, using multimedia, and incorporating patient perspectives in study design for better understanding and engagement. Analysis: Open access journal publication in health and medical research and open science: benefits, challenges and limitations  Patricia Logullo, Jennifer A de Beyer, Shona Kirtley, Michael Maia Schlüssel, Gary S Collins In this article, several aspects of open access (OA) are explored. OA benefits the final users of the evidence produced, who are patients and healthcare professionals in the case of evidence-based medicine. It also benefits researchers, who can avoid waste from reproducing investigations unnecessarily or having to reinvent procedures that are not clearly explained. Analysis: Can a replication revolution resolve the duplication crisis in systematic reviews? Sathya Karunananthan, Jeremy M Grimshaw, Lara Maxwell, Phi-Yen Nguyen, Matthew J Page, Jordi Pardo Pardo, Jennifer Petkovic, Brigitte Vachon, Vivian Andrea Welch, Peter Tugwell Deliberate replication of systematic reviews enhances the certainty and generalizability of findings, addressing specific uncertainties, controversies, or evidence gaps with potential policy and practice implications, emphasising the importance of prioritising purposeful replication over wasteful duplication, involving key stakeholders, and outlining a systematic approach for researchers to identify and conduct valuable replications.