Prioritising measures and interventions to strengthen research reproducibility: a Delphi consultation study

Area of Science:

• Scientific integrity and research methodology.
• Enhancing the reliability of scientific evidence.

Background:

• Research reproducibility is crucial for scientific integrity and trust in evidence.
• Lack of consensus on prioritizing reproducibility measures and interventions hinders progress.
• This study aimed to establish expert consensus on key practices to strengthen research reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and prioritize essential reproducibility measures and interventions.
• To achieve expert consensus on actionable steps for improving research reproducibility.
• To inform future strategies for enhancing the reliability of scientific findings.

Main Methods:

• A Delphi consensus study involving experts from five stakeholder groups.
• Two online survey rounds followed by a virtual consensus panel.
• Consensus defined as at least 70% agreement on high-priority scores (8-10 on a 10-point Likert scale).

Main Results:

• Consensus reached on eight reproducibility measures and six reproducibility interventions.
• Prioritized measures: methodological and reporting quality, data/code availability, computational reproducibility, transparency, trial registration.
• Prioritized interventions: data management and statistical training, data quality checks, data sharing policies, protocol registration.

Conclusions:

• The identified measures and interventions offer a framework for enhancing research reproducibility across disciplines.
• Findings can guide the development of training programs and institutional policies.
• Informs future empirical evaluations of these practices in diverse research contexts.