Increasing Replicability, Transparency, and Openness in Clinical Psychological Research

Guest editors Jennifer Tackett and Joshua Miller discuss the significance and practical implications of a special section in the August 2019 issue of Journal of Abnormal Psychology that addresses concerns about current research practices in clinical psychology.

What is the special section about?

This special section brings ongoing concerns and discussion around open science and replication to the clinical psychology and psychiatry communities directly. A series of contributions examine the nature and extent of these problems in psychopathology research, and explore potential solutions to increase the transparency and replicability of our research.

What is the significance of the section?

The conversation around open science and replicability has been progressing in psychological science for some years now, but clinical psychology and psychiatry have been largely absent from these efforts. We see this as a missed opportunity not only for these fields but also the broader open science movement, which benefits from a diversity of perspectives given that each area of psychology may have its own idiosyncratic interests and needs. The special section seeks to fill this gap.

Tell us about a few key takeaways and practical implications of the articles featured in the section.

Submissions to this special section indicate that while some areas of our current methods and practices are reasonably strong, many areas are in need of attention, correction, and improvement. Our fields remain in critical need of evidence regarding different aspects of our published literature, to allow appropriately calibrated confidence in what we already think we know.

There are also a number of proposed solutions and tools that we can begin integrating into our research programs immediately, to ensure a more valid and robust literature moving forward.

Most importantly, we view this special section as but one small step towards raising the saliency of these issues for scholars studying critical issues in psychopathology. That is, we hope this special section serves an introduction for those who need it and a springboard to encourage the many talented scholars working in this area to consider how their own research practices can influence and be influenced by this movement.

Note: This article is in the Clinical Psychology topic area. View more articles in the Clinical Psychology topic area.

Jennifer Tackett, PhD, is a professor of psychology and director of clinical training at Northwestern University. Her research interests include clinical psychology, personality, and behavior genetics.

Joshua Miller, PhD, is a professor of psychology and director of clinical training at the University of Georgia. His research focuses on personality trait models and personality disorders, specifically narcissism and psychopathy.