Open Science and Intervention Research: a Program Developer's and Researcher's Perspective on Issues and Concerns

Area of Science:

• Preventive intervention research
• Open Science practices

Background:

• Open Science practices enhance research reproducibility and transparency.
• These principles are particularly vital for preventive intervention research.
• Implementing Open Science in intervention research presents unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and discuss potential concerns and issues related to applying Open Science practices in intervention research.
• To explore both easily addressable and more complex challenges within key Open Science domains.

Main Methods:

• The study examines issues within three core areas of Open Science: pre-registration, data archiving, and research materials.
• It considers practical aspects such as making pre-registration a living document and rewarding hypothesis-generating research.
• Ethical considerations for data de-identification and the management of intervention staff training are also addressed.

Main Results:

• Key challenges in pre-registration include dynamic updates and incentivizing exploratory research.
• Data archiving requires adequate resources for large datasets and robust de-identification protocols.
• Managing intervention manuals, materials, and staff training/supervision presents further implementation hurdles.

Conclusions:

• Addressing Open Science implementation in intervention research requires navigating complexities in pre-registration, data archiving, and material management.
• Solutions must balance transparency goals with practical and ethical considerations specific to intervention studies.
• Further development is needed to fully integrate Open Science principles effectively in this field.