Contribute your ideas about research into research and responsible research practices

Improving the quality of science and scientific knowledge requires knowledge about how the science system and the various cultures within science work. However, what could be the solution for one scientific discipline does not necessarily work for another research field.

ZonMw and NWO are therefore asking you to contribute ideas about what is needed to improve the quality of research within your research field. You can do that using the position paper “Promoting Responsible Research Practices”.

Make a contribution

The position paper “Promoting Responsible Research Practices” can be found on the ZonMw website. You can submit your suggestions, if you so wish, anonymously, via the digital form. Contributions can be submitted until 16 March 2020.

Current state of affairs

On 31 October 2019, Joeri Tijdink presented the position paper “Promoting Responsible Research Practices” during the meeting of the research programmes Fostering Responsible Research Practices and Replication Studies. In this paper, Serge Horbach, Michèle B. Nuijten, Gareth O'Neill and Joeri Tijdink describe the knowledge we already have and which research themes have not yet received enough attention to make responsible research possible. ZonMw commissioned the authors to perform this study so that it would be clear what we can jointly do to improve the quality of research and to build a robust and resilient science system.

Science-wide research into research

During the meeting, participants gave input on the paper. They were mainly researchers from the biomedical sciences, psychology and social sciences. However, the input of researchers, project leaders, employees and administrators from research institutions from all research fields is needed to obtain a science-wide picture of existing research and themes that have not yet been sufficiently investigated. ZonMw is therefore organising a consultation round to further refine the position paper and to describe as many knowledge gaps as possible.

Next steps

The authors will use the contributions to further refine the overview of existing knowledge and subjects that have not yet received sufficient attention. This document will provide the basis for new initiatives in line with the research programmes Fostering Responsible Research Practices and Replication Studies.

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