Have We Solved the Replicability Crisis? From Open Practices to Systemic Reform in Cognitive Neurosciences

More than a decade after the recognition of the replication crisis, the field of cognitive neuroscience has acknowledged the importance of implementing potential solutions. Practices such as preregistration, open data sharing, and standardized analysis pipelines are now being adopted and promoted. Yet, structural, methodological, and cultural challenges continue to limit the field’s capacity for cumulative, robust and replicable science. Based on a focused expert panel held by the Interest Group on Open and Reproducible Science (IGOR), this position paper argues that cognitive neuroscience, as a field situated at the intersection of cognitive psychology, systems neuroscience, psychometrics, and experimental methodology, is uniquely positioned to drive the adoption of robust research practices. For a realistic reform, we must rethink incentives, establish better measurement properties, including robustness, reliability, and validity, as well as secure the sustainability of our analytical and measurement infrastructure.