NEW PAPER: The case for open research in entomology: Reducing harm, refining reproducibility and advancing insect science

Check out this new paper, published in Agricultural and Forest Entomology! “The case for open research in entomology: Reducing harm, refining reproducibility and advancing insect science“

Open research is crucial for scientific advancement and has been successfully adopted across many disciplines. Entomology has, however, been slow to adopt it, despite some really important ethical and practical reasons for doing so. We start by outlining these.

The grand challenges that entomology faces in the 21st century require accessible data across a range of contexts on a global scale. This will help with evidence synthesis, and open research (particularly open data) will play a vital role.

Open research also plays a vital role in fostering trust in research and researchers! Entomology has seen some high-profile malpractice in recent years. We must learn how to support others in sharing their research, but also to recognise honest mistakes.

We must also maximise our use of research outputs when insects are harmed or killed to reduce further harm. Increasing awareness of insect welfare (see https://insectwelfare.com) only strengthens this need, and open research can also help establish best practice!

We outline these imperatives and how open research practices can enhance entomological research. We also highlight how open science spans the full research lifecycle through several examples of open research practices which can be adopted easily by individual entomologists!

From preregistering experimental intentions, sharing our protocols or publishing our code, to preprinting, openly reviewing and publishing open access, there are loads of ways in which individual entomologists can engage with open research!

We argue, however, that the responsibility of promoting, integrating and encouraging open research is most crucially held by publishers, including scholarly societies, which have leveraged widespread adoption in adjacent fields.

Hopefully this article helps others understand and engage with open research across entomology. It was an excellent collaborative process led by Jordan with the super-team of Meghan Barrett, Helen Gray, Chuck Fox, Allan Watt and Emilie Aimé – many of whom are involved in Royal Entomological Society publishing as editors of its journals or through its Publications Committee.