Transparency, open sharing, and reproducibility are core features of science, but not always part of daily practice. Journals can increase transparency and reproducibility of research by adopting the TOP Guidelines. TOP includes eight modular standards, each with three levels of increasing stringency. Journals select which of the eight transparency standards they wish to adopt for their journal, and select a level of implementation for the selected standards. These features provide flexibility for adoption depending on disciplinary variation, but simultaneously establish community standards.
The TOP Guidelines are the result of work by a diverse group of researchers, journal editors, funders, and society leaders from behavioral and social sciences. The purpose of the TOP Guidelines is to provide templates of policies and procedures that journals can adopt to encourage greater transparency and reproducibility of research in the published record. The Guidelines are modular and have multiple levels so that journals can adopt part or all of the standards, and can select a level of stringency that is most appropriate for them. This simultaneously provides flexibility and offers the benefits of standards. Organization signatories are expressing their support for the principles expressed in the TOP Guidelines.
Details at http://cos.io/top
Open Atmospheric Society 