‘Don’t hate the players, hate the game’: qualitative insights from education researchers on questionable and open research practices

Abstract Both questionable (e.g. p-hacking) and open (e.g. pre-registration) research practices are prevalent in education research. We sought to understand the explanations given by educational researchers for why either should or should not be used. Two teams of researchers independently analysed open-ended survey responses from 1488 education researchers on their feelings about questionable and open research practices. Despite using different analytic approaches, all of the major categorizations of participant responses were similar or related across teams. Our findings suggest that although respondents believe that questionable research practices should not be used, they conceded there are systemic reasons some use them. Similarly, although respondents generally support open practices, they noted situations in which they were not appropriate or necessary for education research. These findings can serve as a catalyst for training and policy initiatives.