Mission Statement

To date, a host of research has identified concerns with the replication of psychological research, leading to the formation of projects such as the Many Labs, STORK (Society for Transparency, Openness and Replication in Kinesiology), and the Reproducibility Project in Psychology.

However, very little research has investigated the quality, practice and reliability of findings within the field of Sport and Exercise Science. This field is under threat from low sample sizes, high risk of bias, and invested interests in the outcomes of applied or commercial findings for sport (Heneghan et al, 20121; Knudson, 20172; Halperin et al, 20183).

Scientific progress may be hindered by questionable research practices and the continued focus on novel or unexpected results. Therefore, the Sports Science Replication Centre aims not only to investigate the credibility and replicability of findings within our field, but also to support education, training, and research development in Sports and Exercise Science. Through promoting robust methodology, transparent practices, and improved research literacy, the Centre seeks to enhance the standard of scientific enquiry and foster a stronger understanding of how research is conducted, interpreted, and applied moving forward.

  1. Halperin, I., Vigotsky, A.D., Foster, C., Pyne, D.B., 2018. Strengthening the practice of exercise and sport-science research. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 13, 127–134. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2017-0322 ↩︎

  2. Heneghan, C., Perera, R., Nunan, D., Mahtani, K., Gill, P., 2012. Forty years of sports performance research and little insight gained. BMJ 345. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e4797 ↩︎

  3. Knudson, D., 2017. Confidence crisis of results in biomechanics research. Sport. Biomech. 16, 425–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2016.1246603 ↩︎

Aims

  • COMPLETE - Establish a collaborative lab network worldwide
  • COMPLETE - Critically evaluate the replicability of sports science research by undertaking replication trials of single effects
  • COMPLETE - Report replication outcomes using meta-analytic procedures
  • COMPLETE - Present an initial overview of the replicability of sports science research
  • REVISED - To continue to provide education, awareness and research into meta-science practices in the field of Sports and Exercise Science
For more information on collaborating with us in the future, to suggest opportunities for research funding, or to provide feedback please contact us.

Recommended Reading

We recommend the below publications for more information about replication.

  • Caldwell, A.R., Vigotsky, A.D., Tenan, M.S., Radel, R., Mellor, D.T., Kreutzer, A., Lahart, I.M., Mills, J.P. and Boisgontier, M.P., 2020. Moving sport and exercise science forward: a call for the adoption of more transparent research practices. Sports Medicine, 50(3), pp.449-459. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01227-1
  • Nosek, B.A. and Errington, T.M., 2020. What is replication?. PLoS biology, 18(3), p.e3000691. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000691
  • Open Science Collaboration, 2012. An open, large-scale, collaborative effort to estimate the reproducibility of psychological science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), pp.657-660. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1745691612462588
  • Asendorpf, J.B., Conner, M., De Fruyt, F., De Houwer, J., Denissen, J.J., Fiedler, K., Fiedler, S., Funder, D.C., Kliegl, R., Nosek, B.A. and Perugini, M., 2013. Recommendations for increasing replicability in psychology. European journal of personality, 27(2), pp.108-119. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.1919