Conclusions

Recent years have marked the rise of “open science”, producing numerous tools and practices that enhance the reproducibility, transparency, inclusivity and diversity of research in general and in neuroimaging specifically. These tools and practices yield benefits at multiple levels ranging from the individual researcher to the society. At the societal level, they can increase transparency and credibility of research, foster the public understanding of scientific findings, and promote participation. Higher public credibility in research results can support decision-makers in basing their decisions on scientific knowledge. For the scientific community, such practices can increase the quality and validity of scientific products. They also increase the cost-effectiveness of invested resources (money, time, personnel, etc.), by, for example, enabling reuse of collected data and developed methods and tools. Acquiring and analyzing data also has a substantial environmental cost that is better utilized when research data and products are shared and reused (https://ohbm-environment.org/). For individual researchers, the application of open science practices can improve their chances for funding and recognition in the community by meeting related requirements from funding institutions, agencies, and scientific journals. Furthermore, the use of open science tools and practices can ease the use of novel analysis techniques and open the researcher new opportunities for collaborations and contributions, which in turn transform the research culture.

The abundance of tools and practices for open and reproducible neuroimaging is both promising and challenging. They should support scientific practices rather than setting up new hurdles, for example with exceedingly rigid rules, particularly time consuming processes, or requiring particularly developed programming skills. This review was written to assist neuroimaging researchers to make informed and sustainable choices with regard to their implementation in their own research, by understanding the purpose of each tool, how they interact together, how to use them and where to look for further information. We believe it will prove helpful for researchers and institutions to make a successful and sustainable move towards open and reproducible science, contributing to improving scientific research and, ultimately, accelerating scientific discoveries.