--- title: Policy Reform | Center for Open Science --- - Our sites: - [OSF](https://osf.io) - [TOP Guidelines](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-guidelines?hsLang=en) - [* *Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/cos.io)[* *Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@CenterforOpenScience)[* *Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-open-science/)[* *YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforOpenScience) - [**  Shop](https://www.redbubble.com/people/OpenScience/shop) - [**  Donate](https://www.cos.io/support-cos?hsLang=en) [![Center for Open Science](https://www.cos.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/COS%202024/cos-full-tag-h.png?width=2000&height=293&name=cos-full-tag-h.png "Center for Open Science")](https://www.cos.io?hsLang=en) ** ** # Policy Reform ## Advocating for better policies as part of our mission to improve research practice. ### Improving scientific culture requires better policies to support better practices. The Center for Open Science (COS) advocates for improved policy through strategic activities by engaging policymakers as norms shift toward more openness within communities. COS engages policymakers in government, publishing, funding, and in academic institutions by providing specific recommendations and assessments based on a clear framework outlined in the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines. ## Transparency and Openness Promotion ### COS activities are focused on providing specific recommendations to relevant audiences. ### [Advocacy to Policymakers](https://osf.io/qr6jz/wiki/home/?view) COS advocates for open science policies to policymakers in government and private organizations. This includes Congressional testimony, responses to requests for information, and other formats. These statements are publicly available and are openly licensed for maximal reuse by others.  ### [TOP Guidelines](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-guidelines?hsLang=en) The Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Guidelines create a policy framework that covers the entire research lifecycle so that important practices can be incentivized through specific policies. TOP includes eight modular standards, each with three levels of increasing stringency. These features provide flexibility for adoption depending on disciplinary variation, but simultaneously establish shared standards. ### [TOP for Funders](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/top-funders?hsLang=en) Funders of scientific research can increase credibility and accelerate discovery by enabling and incentivizing the most rigorous and transparent methods. COS curates support materials and best practices for funders to integrate TOP Guidelines into their policies for grantees. ### [The Coalition for Resilient Research Data Infrastructure (CRRDI)](https://www.cos.io/coalition-for-resilient-research-data-infrastructure-crrdi?hsLang=en) The Center for Open Science (COS), with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), is leading a community-driven initiative to develop a strategic plan for ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and usability of publicly funded scientific data.This project convenes experts across research, policy, and data infrastructure to coordinate approaches that strengthen and sustain access to data generated through federal funding. ### [Registered Reports](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/registered-reports?hsLang=en) Registered Reports is a publishing format that emphasizes the importance of the research question and the quality of methodology by conducting peer review prior to observing the research outcomes. High quality protocols are then provisionally accepted for publication if the authors follow through with the registered methodology. This format rewards researchers for asking important questions and designing rigorous methods to test those questions. This contrasts with the standard peer review process that emphasizes evaluation of the importance and novelty of the findings. Registered Reports eliminates a variety of questionable research practices, including selective reporting of results and publication bias, by committing to publication before knowing the outcomes. Registered Reports also allow flexibility to report serendipitous findings, and authors clearly distinguish those findings from those that were planned in advance. ### [Open Science Badges](https://www.cos.io/initiatives/badges?hsLang=en) Open Science Badges make transparent and reproducible research practices more visible. This raises awareness and helps normalize practices that are highly valued. Visibility is an important part of changing social norms by providing evidence that others in one’s research community are adopting open practices, thus lowering the barrier to adopting them oneself. ![Center for Open Science](https://www.cos.io/hubfs/Logos/COS%202024/cos-full-tag-h-w.png) 6218 Georgia Avenue NW, Suite #1, Unit 3189 Washington, DC 20011 Email: [contact@cos.io](mailto:contact@cos.io) - [* *Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/cos.io) - [* *Mastodon](https://fosstodon.org/@CenterforOpenScience) - [* *Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/center-for-open-science/) - [* *YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@CenterforOpenScience) **Join our mailing list** [![Creative Commons License](https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Unless otherwise noted, this site is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 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COS and the OSF were also awarded SOC2 accreditation in 2023 after an independent assessment of our security and procedures by the **[American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)](https://www.aicpa-cima.com/resources/landing/system-and-organization-controls-soc-suite-of-services)**. We invite all of our sponsors, partners, and members of the community to learn more about how our organization operates, our impact, our financial performance, and our nonprofit status. **Photo Stream** - - - - - - - - - - - -