Open science in behavioural medicine: An Australian perspective

Abstract

Adoption of open science practices have been steadily increasing in Australia since around 2015, albeit slowly. Emerging data indicates that uptake of many practices such as open sharing of data and analysis scripts, pre-registration of research plans and methods, and open sharing of research materials are still low among psychology researchers. Furthermore, to date, it seems only a couple of universities are leading the way in the open science movement. A range of barriers may be hindering uptake of open science practices in Australia including lack of knowledge, existing beliefs and teachings about ‘questionable’ research practices, and structural issues which may include incentive structures or lack of top-down support. For example, fewer than half of Australian universities have a policy or statement on open access, and publications in Nature or Science are still weighted considerably in key university rankings. As behavioral medicine researchers, how can we work toward a consensus on the creation of incentive structures that encourage ‘best’ practice research without creating new problems? Lack of knowledge of open science practices is also a significant issue among Australian academics; thus, how can we address this knowledge gap in our undergraduate teachings and leadership roles so information can filter through to the next generation of researchers and create an institutional and societal shift in perceptions and practices toward open science? Currently, only some academics in Australia share information about open science through their undergraduate teaching, and this content does not form a key part of the curriculum in research methods.