HCI for and within Open and Reproducible Science

Dear Colleagues,

For this Special Issue, we are soliciting original and unpublished research on the role of human–computer interaction (HCI) for and within open and reproducible science. Reproducibility is widely recognized as a cornerstone of science that enables research validation and reuse. Open data and science transparency are increasingly important as data volumes and research complexity grow across the sciences. In fact, stakeholders at all levels of scientific processes recognize open science (OS) guidelines and initiatives as necessary tools to meet today’s challenges in a globalized big data science community. Funding agencies issue OS regulations, journals and conferences demand data sharing, and academic institutions issue policies. However, we know that purely extrinsic forms of motivation fail to install and maintain healthy and sustainable attitudes and practices. How likely are we to motivate researchers to take the extra effort of fully documenting and sharing novel procedures if we engage them through policies that demand a clear set of common files in exchange for (financial) appraisal?

The growing body of HCI research at the intersection of OS and data science highlights the role of our field in supporting positive change towards open and reproducible science. This Special Issue honors and explores the unique role that HCI plays in elucidating how we can support and motivate this positive change in science through the design of future tools, from digital lab notebooks to domain-tailored research data management services. In addition to tool-centered investigations, we further solicit original research about scientists and scientific communities across all fields that inform about current research practices and needs, with particular regard to their impact on open and reproducible science.

While discussing the role that HCI plays in supporting changes in scientific practices, we should not overlook ongoing discussions on the role of OS within HCI, a field that stands out through the remarkable collaboration of researchers with diverse scientific backgrounds. Mapping reproducible practices across sciences, we are likely to further the discussion in our community and to introduce new approaches. Thus, we invite original research that explores the state of open and reproducible science in HCI, as well as work that shows how human-centered investigations in other fields of science inform our understanding of needs and practices in HCI.

We are soliciting original and unpublished research related to HCI for and within open and reproducible science, including, but not limited to:

• Human-centered design of supportive tools;
• Theoretical and empirical research on practices, requirements, and platform usage;
• Explorations into collaborative frameworks and how they impact practices;
• Role of HCI in supporting openness;
• Beyond the single field: generalizable tools and approaches;
• Creating meaningful incentives;
• Motivation for OS and data management;
• Research data management tools as drivers of knowledge transfer;
• State and needs of open and reproducible science in HCI;
• Addressing the gap: what is open is not necessarily enough; and what is reproducible is not necessarily open.

Dr. Sebastian Stefan Feger
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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