Centre for Open Science and Research Reform

Explore our work within research methods, open science, and research reform.

About the centre

The Centre for Open Science and Research Reform brings together expertise in psychological research methods, statistics, and open science practices across disciplines to promote the highest standards of research.

The Centre is a world leader in open science and research reform. We have pioneered the development of Registered Reports as an alternative to the standard journal article, and the development of Peer Community In Registered Reports as an approach to diamond open access that has unnerved the publishing industry and has been recognized by Parliament as the way forward for science. We have promoted the use of informed Bayes factors in psychology research and developed widely used statistical toolboxes. Since 2023 we have been running one of the first reproducibility certification schemes in the UK, with a permanently employed reproducibility statistician – the first psychology school to have such a role.

We are proud to have a solid culture of open science. We offer excellent support and training for staff and students in scripting statistical analysis and improving research reproducibility. Several labs have adopted a culture of pre-registration, open data and materials, and a number of researchers have adopted the practice of open reviewing and will not publish with or review for for-profit journals. We also host termly open science speakers and organise a regular open science discussion group involving students and staff at all career stages.