Effective as of March 22, 2018, the SMU Psychology Department has adopted an open science practices policy. The faculty voted unanimously in favor of it.

The policy reads:

The faculty in the psychology department subscribe to the core values of our discipline, including research transparency, open sharing, and reproducibility. We also strive to use and to instruct our students in the best research practices. In order to manifest those values and the best practices in our work, the department encourages all faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduates, whenever possible, to engage in what is known as open science practices and employ an online platform such the Open Science Framework (osf.io) or ClinicalTrials.gov.

Specifically, at a minimum, the department recommends that all investigators preregister their studies on an online platform prior to beginning their investigations. The preregistration consists of uploading a document that describes the planned study’s research design, hypotheses, research materials, and statistical analyses. Beyond preregistration, investigators should consider data sharing as well as other benefits of the platforms, such as uploading and sharing preprints.

The department recognizes that it may not always be feasible to preregister all aspects of a study and/or openly share the data. Consequently, investigators are encouraged to engage in open science practices insofar as it is feasible, including preregistering, sharing data, and making analysis scripts available.

This policy is voluntary but it reflects current best practices in our discipline and thus it is highly recommended. Departmental members will not be monitored for adherence nor will there be any department-imposed consequences if investigators do not follow this policy. However, adopting the policy will be viewed very favorably by the chair and faculty members’ efforts to adhere to the policy will be recognized in their annual reviews.