Teaching reproducible research methods benefits not only students and lecturers, but also the overall quality of scholarly work. They should therefore be systematically incorporated into the curriculum from the undergraduate level onwards. This argument was put forward by Richard Ball at the sixth “Coffee Lecture on Open Science Education”, where he presented an initiative to integrate reproducibility into teaching in economics, business studies and the social sciences: Project TIER.
On April 23, 2026, the sixth event in the series "Coffee Lecture on Open Science Education" took place. Richard Ball, Professor of Economics at Haverford College (USA), used Project TIER (Teaching Integrity in Empirical Research), co-founded by him, to show how and why reproducibility should be taught already at the undergraduate level.
The project grew out of a practical problem: in his introductory statistics course, Ball could not comprehend the research papers submitted by the students. That is why, back in 2005, he wrote a guide on how students should document and submit their projects. This guide evolved into the ‘TIER Protocol’, first published in 2013 as part of Project TIER. Unlike many initiatives founded around the same time – such as the Center for Open Science or the Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences – Project TIER does not primarily target the research community itself. Instead, it aims to integrate reproducibility into the training of students in economics and the social sciences.
The TIER Protocol describes how a complete replication package should be structured. Central to this are the three principles of the ‘Reproducibility Trifecta’: 1) all project files are stored in a folder with a clearly defined structure, 2) the working directory is explicitly specified, and 3) scripts use relative rather than absolute file paths. Adherence to these principles ensures that one’s documentation can actually be used for reproductions.
The protocol is software-neutral and deliberately designed so that instructors can adapt it to their needs. In addition, Project TIER offers further freely accessible resources such as sample course materials and examples of real student projects.
Ball's own students have since submitted their papers with reliable and accurate reproduction documentation. This is the first, immediately tangible benefit of teaching reproducible research methods: both instructors and students themselves gain a better understanding of the projects. When instructors can follow the results of a project more quickly, this facilitates advising and grading. This is true especially when students, as recommended by Ball, make their work available on platforms such as GitHub or GitLab. This makes it easier for instructors to run the scripts in advance. Students in turn benefit from better guidance and improved learning outcomes.
Beyond this, learning reproducible research methods prepares students for their professional careers. Leading journals, such as those of the AEA, increasingly require the submission of replication packages. Outside academia, too, the ability to work with reproducible data is an important professional skill. With reference to the US context, Ball points to federal agencies, think tanks, and the consulting sector as examples.
A further benefit, according to Ball, lies at a more fundamental level: working according to reproducible standards teaches students how important it is to support arguments with transparent and verifiable evidence. They learn that they can produce such evidence themselves – and how to do so. This strengthens their independence and confidence.
Ball welcomes the fact that more and more instructors are integrating reproducibility into their courses. However, this should happen more systematically. Ideally, the topic should be embedded throughout the curriculum, as exemplified by the University of Glasgow’s PsyTeachR initiative. Ball also advocates for greater networking and exchange among instructors across institutions, to share resources and learn from one another. To build and sustain such a community, Project TIER is organising an event this July together with FORRT and the UK Reproducibility Network.
Tip: Would you like to make your own research reproducible? This entry in the Open Economics Guide provides an overview over necessary steps.