OSF Preprints | Open science practices in psychiatric genetics: a primer

Abstract:  Open science is a set of practices to ensure that all research elements are transparently reported and freely accessible for all to learn, assess, and build on. Psychiatric genetics has led among the health sciences in implementing some open science practices in common study designs, such as replication as part of genome-wide association studies. However, while additional open science practices could be embedded in genetics research to further improve its quality and accessibility, guidelines for doing so are limited. They are largely not specific to data, privacy, and research conduct challenges in psychiatric genetics. Here, we present a primer of open science practices in psychiatric genetics for multiple steps of the research process, including deciding on a research topic with patients/non-academic collaborators, equitable authorship and citation practices, considerations in designing a replicable, reproducible study, pre-registrations, open data, and privacy issues. We provide tips for creating informative figures, using inclusive, precise language, and following reporting standards. We also discuss considerations in working with non-academic research collaborators (citizen scientists) and outline ways of disseminating research through preprints, blogs, social media, and accessible lecture materials. Finally, we provide a list of extra resources to support every step of the research process.