ReproducibiliTea UniHelsinki is a local branch of a global ReproducibiliTea community based at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Our mission is to create an open forum for researchers of all career stages to discuss reproducibility in science, to educate them on good research practices, and to positively enhance the quality of new research. We also aim to increase awareness of research integrity principles.
Started in September 2024, ReproducibiliTea UniHelsinki is a local journal club and a part of Finnish Reproducibility Network that tackles a global topic of reproducibility in scientific research.
The crisis of reproducibility in science has been an open debate since 2010. This issue is deeply rooted in the multi-stage nature of research, where decisions made at each step—from formulating the research question and designing the study to conducting experiments, analyzing data, and reporting results—can impact reproducibility. The complexity of this topic spans various aspects of scientific work, including experimental procedures, computational analyses, and open data accessibility, making it essential to address reproducibility at every stage of the research process. Tackling these issues requires a collaborative effort of scientists as a community and this is where ReproducibiliTea came into picture.
In spring of 2018, three proactive young researchers from the University of Oxford - Sophia Crüwell, Amy Orben, and Sam Parsons - established a series of journal clubs, where their fellow colleagues could come together to discuss current papers and other topics related to quality of research. The idea resonated with the world’s research community and more than 100 institutions that have picked up this concept and established their own ReproducubiliTea branches – including the University of Helsinki.