Open Science in Business Studies and Economics
In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward Open Science in the field of economics and business studies. A key driver of this development is the increasing importance of reproducibility and replicability in research in economics and business studies. A lack of transparency – in particular the limited availability of data and code – significantly restricts the verifiability of empirical results. If other researchers cannot retrace or reproduce a study, it is impossible to assess whether the findings are correct, nor can further work be built upon them. [1] [2] [3]
This has direct consequences, for example, for economic policy advice as well as for corporate management and consulting. Research results that cannot be independently verified provide an unreliable basis for both political and business decisions. Transparency in data and methods is therefore not merely a matter of good scientific practice, but a prerequisite for credible research. [4] [5]
At the international level, various initiatives have been established that actively promote Open Science practices in economics and business studies. The Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences (BITSS) advocates for improved research transparency and supports researchers in embedding Open Science practices in their work. [6] The Evidence in Governance and Politics Network (EGAP) additionally promotes the pre-registration of studies as a means of enhancing the credibility of empirical research, particularly in the areas of field experiments and evidence-based policy advice.
Specifically to promote reproducibility and replicability, many leading economics journals, such as the American Economic Association (AEA) have introduced binding data and code guidelines. This further accelerates the transition toward Open Science. This development is also supported by international initiatives such as i4Replication, the Network of Social Science Data Editors and publication formats such as the Journal of Comments and Replications in Economics unterstützt.
The implementation of Open Science ultimately rests on concrete practices such as Open Access, Open Data, Open Code and Open Educational Resources.
Structural developments towards Open Science in economics and business studies are also evident in Germany. At the level of academic associations, the Verein für Socialpolitik (VfS), for instance, has declared Open Science its focus topic for 2025–2026 and has established a working group to oversee its implementation. Furthermore, the association addresses Open Science in its code of ethics which calls for transparency, verifiability, and the provision of data and programmes for the replication of empirical results.
At the infrastructure level, NFDI4Society and BERD represent two initiatives within the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) for Economics and Business Studies. The Consortium for the Social, Educational, Behavioural and Economic Sciences (KonsortSWD) is the initiative behind NFDI4Society, supporting researchers in research data management and the re-use of data in accordance with the FAIR principles.
Quellen:
[1] Dewald, William G.; Thursby, Jerry G.; Anderson, Richard G.: Replication in Empirical Economics: The Journal of Money, Credit and Banking Project. In: American Economic Review, 76(4), 587–603, 1986