Research Transparency and Reproducibility Workshop for African Scholars Catalyst Training Project

This project aims to enhance research transparency and reproducibility among early-career scholars in Africa by providing targeted training for PhD candidates in economics and allied fields. Researchers in developing countries face both supply-side and demand-side constraints that limit their ability to publish in high-impact journals. Inadequate access to training and tools for transparent research are some supply-side limitations. To address this gap, the program will equip PhD candidates with skills in preregistration, pre-analysis planning, version control, open science, and credibility-enhancing practices, modeled after BITSS’s Research Transparency and Reproducibility Training (RT2). The training will be conducted online over two days, combining lectures with interactive breakout sessions. Recruitment will target institutions across African universities to enroll at least 50 eligible candidates. Outputs will include publicly available course materials, and outcomes may consist of potential long-term career benefits for participants, thereby strengthening Africa’s contributions to global economic research.