Speaker
Description
In this contribution, we introduce the German Reproducibility Network (GRN) to the Open Source and Research Software Engineering community. The GRN aims to increase trustworthiness, transparency, and reproducibility in scientific research in Germany and beyond, as part of a broader international network of reproducibility initiatives. Since its founding in 2020, the GRN has grown into a cross-disciplinary network comprising over 42 members, including local reproducibility initiatives led by early career researchers, academic institutions, and scholarly societies.
Recognizing the integral role of open source software in open science and reproducible research, the GRN advocates for the development, adoption, and dissemination of open source tools and practices. Advancing research improvement strategies, such as sustainable software development, requires collaboration and knowledge exchange among those committed to transforming the research ecosystem.
We highlight how members of the Open Science community can engage with the GRN and benefit from shared experiences in driving academic reform. The GRN aims to serve as a key player in the German academic system, rallying support for initiatives that enhance research practices. Activities include sharing best practices in training and education, incentivizing reproducible research, and fostering open science at academic institutions. For example, in 2023, the GRN issued a press statement advocating for better working conditions in academia and stronger support for open science in the context of the WissZeitVG reform. Recognizing the critical role of open source and reproducible code in research, we organized a session titled "FAIR and Reproducible Code" at last years deRSE24 fostering discussions on best practices for transparent research software. Our commitment to supporting early career researchers (ECRs) led us to conduct a Summer School, complemented by an accompanying webinar series, equipping participants with essential skills for adopting reproducible methods and develop their own software tools for a transparent workflow. Furthermore, we authored a community paper providing a practical framework for establishing open science practices, aiming to empower researchers and institutions to adopt transparency and reproducibility as standard practices.
Since the deRSE25 attracts scientists from many different disciplines, we believe that the introduction of a cross-disciplinary network such as the GRN is a valuable contribution for this conference.
