

Improving Transparency in Scientific Research - bmahmood
http://blog.scienceexchange.com/2012/08/improving-transparency-in-scientific-research/

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bravura
I've written before that I believe academics should share their code
(<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3845070>).

This greatly improves repeatability of results, and saves other researchers a
huge amount of time.

My idea---which unfortunately I came up with towards the end of my academic
career---was to create a public github from day 1. Because it made me more
conscious that other people would be able to see my code, this is a vast
improvement in usability over deciding only halfway through that the code
would be public.

Unfortunately, many academics are scared of this approach. Sharing their
earliest thoughts and meanderings makes them feel exposed, and strips away the
veneer of unassailability that only showing finished work gives. And I will
admit that I deleted repos that of work that was failure to find.

One potential solution is conferences that give priority to researchers who
share their code. (I've seen this occasionally, but can't remember where right
now.)

------
zerostar07
This mostly has to do with Life sciences. Most other fields have embraced open
publishing and data collaboration, with remarkable results. Life scientists
stubbornly insist on defending their tiny castles and not changing the rules
with which funding is given.

~~~
shiven
If only _changing the rules_ was as easy as creating a git repo. Not being
snarky, just cynical of people who appear to have no experience regarding the
realities of a career in _hardcore_ life sciences.

~~~
zerostar07
Exactly what you say. Nobody wants to volunteer to change any rules. It's sad
that researchers have to be _forced_ by their universities to even allow open
access. When career is above all, science lags.

