Research transparency and reproducibility policies and programmes at the international initiative for impact evaluation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research transparency and reproducibility can improve the credibility of scientific evidence on development effectiveness and the utility of this evidence for decision-making. As a funder and producer of research on development effectiveness, the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) has several policies and programmes that aim to improve research transparency and reproducibility. This manuscript provides a descriptive overview of the history-to-date of research transparency and reproducibility policies and programmes at 3ie. In 2012, 3ie launched its Replication Programme to incentivise replication of impact evaluations in international development. In 2014, 3ie created the Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations to provide infrastructure for the prospective registration of impact evaluations of development interventions. In 2018, 3ie published its first Research Transparency Policy articulating requirements on the use of open science practices in research activities. In 2022, 3ie created the Transparent, Reproducible, and Ethical Evidence (TREE) Review Framework, which integrates best practices for research transparency and reproducibility into evaluation workflows. This manuscript provides stakeholders in development effectiveness specifically – as well as research grant managers and other organisations in the scientific ecosystem more generally – a descriptive example of institutional efforts to continuously improve research transparency and reproducibility policies and programmes.