We are the Platform for Young Meta-Scientists (PYMS). Our goal is to facilitate collaboration and the exchange of ideas between early-career meta-scientists. Even though most of our activities take place in the Netherlands, we welcome researchers from all around the world!
An upcoming database that collates and shares meta-science in all fields around the world.
Reproducibility, Registered reports, Preregistration, Hypothesis testing, Research practice
Philosophy, Statistical inference, Research methods
Preregistration, Statistical inference, Evolutionary psychology, Behavioral economics
Reproducibility, Registered Reports, Preregistration, Reflexivity, Virtual ethnography
Meta-research, Reproducibility, Reporting Errors, Econometrics, Price Statistics
Statistics for accumulating science, Adaptive experimental design
Sociology of science, Open research, Qualitative research, Tools
Incentives, Recognition and rewards structures, Theoretical modeling, Evolutionary approaches to human behavior
Preregistration, Registered Reports, Reproducibility, Statistical inference
Decisions regarding treatment endorsement, Replication target selection, Bayesian statistics, Reproducibility, Transparency
Statistical reproducibility, Replication, Transparency
study selection, replication, causal inference, validity, large-scale collaboration, psychopathology, psychopharmacology
Meta-analysis, Publication bias, R programming, Sports analytics
Incentive Structures, Research Practices, Reproducibility, Philosophy
Our general goal is to bring meta-scientists together at an early stage in their career to create awareness of each other’s work and build a useful academic network. Specifically, we host discussion and reading groups and keep each other updated on methodological developments, relevant conferences, workshops, and courses. We also regularly meet in a more formal capacity to share and discuss our research in a mini-conference setting.
Meta-scientists primarily study research practices, methods, epistemology, and sociological and historical aspects of science and scientists, often focussing on how science can become more reliable, reproducible, inclusive, efficient, or effective. Most of the PYMS founding members have a background in psychology, which is likely a result of recent efforts to improve research practices in this discipline. However, meta-science is an inherently interdisciplinary research area and draws on expertise from fields including, but not limited to, philosophy, history of science, statistics, psychology, and sociology. Consequently, PYMS is open to meta-researchers from all disciplines. As long as the goal is to conduct or discuss ‘science about science’, we are interested in connecting.
We decided to restrict our group to early-career researchers (graduate/PhD students and postdocs) because the flat hierarchy allows us to communicate more quickly and flexibly, and to offer each other a unique kind of peer support. The word ‘young’ in PYMS should thus be interpreted as referring to career stage; we explicitly welcome ‘junior’ meta-researchers of all ages.
PYMS has its geographical centre in the Netherlands, which is simply a result of the high density of meta-scientists in this area. Working at an institution in the Netherlands or nearby is not required for joining the group, but potential members should be aware that our meetings will predominantly be held in this region.
Finally, please meet the inspiration for our logo, the infamous Metaphant. This beauty sat beside the room at Utrecht University where we had our very first meeting, so we had no choice but to adopt it as our mascot.
