Upcoming webinar: Approaches to Reproducibility in Systems and Physiological Modeling By Herbert Sauro, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA June 14, 2017, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EDT
Register at http://www.rosaandco.com/webinars/2017/sauro Abstract: Reproducibility is the cornerstone of the scientific method; that is the ability to successfully and independently recreate an experiment. Over the last 17 years a number of successful standards have emerged in systems biology modeling that are poised to allow modelers to create and publish reproducible simulation experiments. However, issues still remain. Though technically solved on a number of levels, the most significant impediment to achieving reproducible science is sociological. The reward system in science (at least in biology) puts more emphasis on publication metrics than on the actual results themselves. Reproducibility therefore takes a backstage, at least in systems biology modeling. This means that the bulk (>95%) of published models are not reproducible. Since our reward system is unlikely to change in the near future, efforts have to be directed instead at the journals. In this talk I will discuss some of the efforts we are trying to put in place, to encourage journals to put a higher emphasis on reproducibility, that includes both technical and cultural changes.