Reproducible Research Practices and Barriers to Reproducible Research in Geography: Insights from a Survey

Abstract

The number of reproduction and replication studies undertaken across the sciences continues to rise, but such studies have not yet become commonplace in geography. Existing attempts to reproduce geographic research suggest that many studies cannot be fully reproduced, or are simply missing components needed to attempt a reproduction. Despite this suggestive evidence, a systematic assessment of geographers’ perceptions of reproducibility and use of reproducible research practices remains absent from the literature, as does an identification of the factors that keep geographers from conducting reproduction studies. We address each of these needs by surveying active geographic researchers selected using probability sampling techniques from a rigorously constructed sampling frame. We identify a clear division in perceptions of reproducibility among geographic subfields. We also find varying levels of familiarity with reproducible research practices and a perceived lack of incentives to attempt and publish reproduction studies. Despite many barriers to reproducibility and divisions between subfields, we also find common foundations for examining and expanding reproducibility in the field. These include interest in publishing transparent and reproducible methods, and in reproducing other researchers’ studies for a variety of motivations including learning, assessing the internal validity of a study, or extending prior work.

Topics & Concepts