The UKRN is a national peer-led consortium that aims to improve the reproducibility and reliability of research in the UK. UKRN runs the Open Research Programme, which provides resources and training for researchers to adopt open data and open code practices, ensuring the long-term accessibility and reusability of their research outputs. It supports a network of local reproducibility initiatives at universities, many of which focus on improving data sharing, metadata quality, and the use of reproducible workflows. IT organises Practical Reproducibility Workshops that teach researchers how to create reproducible analyses by providing guidance on sharing data, maintaining code, and using open tools that enable others to reuse their research. It advocates for funders and institutions to adopt policies requiring data sharing and the use of machine-readable formats, open standards, and version-controlled repositories for research data.
UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN)
Abstract
Country | United Kingdom |
Start date | 2019 |
Annual Budget | n/a |
Responsible organisation(s) | Academic cooperation |
Target group(s) | Researchers, academic institutions, and policymakers |
Policy instrument type | a national peer-led consortium of researchers, institutions, and other stakeholders in the UK |
The UKRN works across disciplines to address issues of research reproducibility and replicability, promoting a culture of transparency and openness. UKRN collaborates with other organizations (e.g., Research Data Alliance (RDA), Open Research Funders Group) to promote data-sharing frameworks and FAIR-aligned infrastructure. Following the UKRN example, other countries have established similar networks, such as the German Reproducibility Network, the Swiss Reproducibility Network, the Netherlands Reproducibility Network, and the Danish Reproducibility Network.
The UKRN can be traced back to a meeting held by the Academy of Medical Sciences, jointly with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), and Wellcome in 2015, on the challenges and opportunities for improving the reproducibility and reliability of biomedical research in the UK. At the BBSRC-funded Workshop on Advanced Methods in Reproducible Science held at Cumberland Lodge in April 2018, Dorothy Bishop, Chris Chambers, Laura Fortunato, and Marcus Munafò brainstormed ideas to this effect. These ideas catalysed a meeting held at the University of Bristol in September 2018, which brought together several funders, publishers, and other sectoral organisations to discuss a model for coordinating related activity. There was enthusiastic support, and UKRN was born, launched formally at an event at King’s College London in March 2019.
To promote robust research practices, provide training, and disseminate best practices. It provides researchers with frameworks and resources to ensure that their data and methods are reusable, including clear guidelines for data sharing, metadata creation, and reproducible workflows. It promotes the adoption of open-source tools and platforms such as GitHub, Zenodo, and OSF (Open Science Framework). It organizes training sessions, workshops, and webinars to educate researchers on how to manage and share data in a way that maximizes its long-term usability.
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