New Network to strengthen reproducibility and transparency in Irish research is launched
A new network aimed at strengthening reproducibility and transparency in how research is conducted in Irish research bodies has been launched.
The Irish Reproducibility Network (IRN) is an all-island peer-led network that connects researchers, librarians, data stewards, and research development professionals from 17 higher education institutions
Reproducibility in science is the ability of independent researchers to obtain the same results as a published study by re-running the original analysis using the same data and code. It is a foundation of the scientific method that ensures research reliability, transparency, and trust. The mission of the IRN is to position Ireland as a leader in open and reproducible research.
Launching the network at the headquarters of Lero the Research Ireland Centre for Software in University of Limerick, UL Vice President Research and Innovation, Professor Kevin Ryan highlighted the importance of such grassroots networks.
“I am hugely aware of the importance of reproducibility and open research to scientific progress. We all have the experience where time is wasted trying to reproduce published work, where key details are missing from the experiment, or findings are presented in a way that exaggerates the conclusions. Lack of reproducibility and open data is a significant drag on research progress.
“Open research and reproducibility matter deeply for Irish universities. They matter because public trust in research is precious, it can be easily squandered, and so it must be earned again and again.
“What we’re celebrating today didn’t appear overnight — it grew out of conversations, pilot projects, workshops, funding proposals, and, above all, a shared belief that we can do research better when we do it together and do it openly.”
Academic researchers from all career stages, librarians, data stewards, Research and Innovation Support staff, and representatives from HEAnet, The Digital Repository of Ireland, Teagasc, and the Royal Irish Academy attended the launch.
Keynote speaker Professor Tim J. Newton, Dean of Research Culture from King’s College London spoke about how Open Research is an essential component of research culture and outlined a most useful roadmap for incorporating best open research practice at institutional level, while a series of lightning talks from members of the network showcased the breadth of open research work and the shared expertise of members of the network.
The Irish Reproducibility Network (IRN) has been developed as part of the TROPIC II project, which is funded by the National Open Research Forum (NORF) through the Higher Education Authority and the Government of Ireland. The UL contribution to the IRN and to the TROPIC II project is led by Dr. Martina Prendergast, Lero’s International Funding Manager, who is also a member of the IRN Supervisory Board. Contributions from other UL-based staff include:
- Ashling Hayes, Head, UL Library Research Services. Her expertise will support training initiatives in research data management, bibliometrics, research collections, evidence synthesis, and open science.
- Armin Straube, UL’s Research Data Manager. His tasks include teaching and consultancy around open research in general and research data in particular.
- Prof James Green, Health Psychology. His input will have a strong focus on research integrity and open science.
- Prof Ann-Marie Creaven, Psychology. Her tasks include the development of an accreditation pathway for TROPIC II participants and trainers.
IRN will be organising seminars, workshops, short courses, and online materials that promote transparent methods and sustainable training through an institutional and train-the-trainer model.
For more information and to sign up for the IRN newsletter check out https://irishrn.org/