Reproducibility: How Can we Make Sure That Research Studies Can be Trusted?

Scientists produce knowledge by building on previous researchers’ findings. This process only works if the research being built upon can be trusted. A major quality that affects how trustworthy research is involves whether it is reproducible. A scientific study is reproducible if it shows the same results when it is repeated, usually by other researchers. Reproducibility is incredibly important for all scientific fields. If a study is reproducible, it is more likely that it does not contain mistakes and that others can trust the findings. Research can be made reproducible by sharing all the information that other researchers need to repeat a study. In this article, we will explain what reproducibility means, why it is important, and some steps that can be taken to increase the reproducibility of scientific research.