Open Science at COSSEE
Open science at COSSEE is not a side theme. It shapes how we design projects, document decisions, share evidence, and build research communities in ecology and evolution.
Our goal is to make research more trustworthy, reusable, and collaborative. That means treating transparency as part of everyday research practice rather than as something added at the end.
What This Looks Like in Practice
- Planning studies clearly, including hypotheses, methods, and analytical choices
- Using registrations, protocols, and registered reports when they strengthen the research process
- Building synthesis projects that are open to updating, reuse, and collaboration
- Supporting workflows that make code, data, and documentation easier to understand and revisit
- Connecting open-science practice with equity, inclusion, and community participation
Core Areas
Registrations
Registrations help make the logic of a study visible before results shape the story. They are especially useful for clarifying research questions, hypotheses, design decisions, and planned analyses.
Registered Reports
Registered reports move peer review earlier in the research process. Instead of evaluating a study mainly after results are known, the design and planned methods are reviewed first. This helps reward rigor, clarity, and strong reasoning rather than novelty alone.
Published Protocols
Protocols provide detailed, citable records of how a study or synthesis will be conducted. They are useful for complex reviews, evidence maps, and collaborative projects where transparent planning matters.
Research Culture
Open science also depends on how people work together. At COSSEE, this includes reproducible workflows, better reporting, shared standards, and an emphasis on research that others can inspect, update, and build on.
Community and Infrastructure
Open science grows through shared tools, societies, repositories, and training networks. COSSEE sees this broader ecosystem as part of the work, not separate from it.