Journal of Trial and Error

Have you ever searched for the latest Hollywood movie on an academic research platform? No? Well, someone did put it there. A new article investigates how platforms like the Open Science Framework have been exploited for piracy, phishing, and other scams. journal.trialanderror.org/pub/platform-p…

Are preprints doing more harm than good? Do editors actually check preregistrations? And are the statistical methods we rely on trustworthy? Volume 6, Issue 1 tackles these questions and more. Read it here: assets.pubpub.org/c27d9a5c8-30f3…

How do you start a Diamond Open Access journal? Muriel Strange breaks it down in our latest blog - funding, DOIs, infrastructure, and more. No paywalls, no fees, fully open. Check it out: blog.trialanderror.org/behind-the-sce…

If a study is underpowered, can we trust its findings? A new study by Léonard and Tirelli finds that statistical power in nicotine conditioned place preference research is critically low and effect sizes are likely inflated. Read more: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/statistica…

Are we measuring political polarization wrong? In 60% of studies on affective polarization, researchers use difference scores - a method with serious conceptual and statistical problems. Lukas K. Sotola reviews the issues and offers a better approach: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/polyvariat…

On the afternoon of March 31st, the Journal of Trial and Error, in collaboration with Utrecht Time Machine, organizes the Trial and Error City Tour. During this guided walk, you will hear stories about what went wrong in the city’s past. Sign up here: trialanderror.org/lustrum-triala….

In de middag van 31 maart organiseert het Journal of Trial and Error in samenwerking met Utrecht Time Machine de Trial and Error City Tour. Ben je benieuwd hoe Utrecht met vallen en opstaan is ontstaan? Geef je op via deze link: trialanderror.org/lustrum-triala….

Last week, our Co-Founder, Stefan Gaillard, gave a talk discussing how many researchers don't do perfect science. You can see more details here: sg.uu.nl/en and on the event, including a stream recording (in Dutch) here: sg.uu.nl/video/2026/02/….

Wij nodigen ambtenaren, bestuurders, beleidsmakers en andere betrokkenen uit om faalverhalen te delen. Wil je jouw verhaal delen dan nodigen uit dit in te sturen voor het Failure Story Festival op 17 april bij Bibliotheek Neude. Stuur jouw faalverhaal - trialanderror.org/failurestoryfe….

Werk je in de publieke sector en wil je graag het festival bijwonen? Dat kan. Schrijf je in via deze link: trialanderror.org/failurestoryfe…. Het festival is gratis en er is een beperkte beschikbaarheid van tickets.

Have you worked in an academic setting for at least one year? Would you like to reflect on your experiences with others who have since left? Join our event on May 7, from 20:00, at Utrecht University Library City Center. Register here: trialanderror.org/lustrum-ex-aca…

New on Cultures of Trial and Error: Open Science isn’t just a set of reforms, but also a story about science in crisis, heroes, urgency, and repair. In this post, Sheena Bartscherer looks at the narrative side of (Open) Science and why these stories matter blog.trialanderror.org/cultures-of-tr…

Desk rejections are common and cost much time. Bert Bakker and Jakob Kasper therefore argue for a staged submission: skip the cover letters, forms, formatting and checklists until an article is actually accepted for review. This prevents unnecessary work. blog.trialanderror.org/stop-formattin…

As a diamond open-access journal, our work is free for everyone, but it’s only possible with your support! If you believe in the importance of open science (and learning from errors), please consider donating this Christmas. 🎁 Donate here: trialanderror.org/donate 🎁

New on the Cultures of Trial and Error blog: “Field-specific barriers to performing replications” Why replication is straightforward in some fields and nearly impossible in others-from psychology and cancer biology to nanoscience and astronomy Read here: blog.trialanderror.org/cultures-of-tr…

Is it time for a revolution in medicine? The drive to reduce ‘waste’ in health research has dominated research for decades. This special issue of the Journal of Trial and Error focuses on rethinking ‘failure’, and its role in scientific progress: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/embracing-…

How does attention shape addiction? The new research reflection published in the Journal of Trial and Error suggests it might not be as straightforward as once thought; it’s a dynamic, context-dependent process. If you are interested, see the article: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/attentiona….

Is the foundation of science crumbling? Researchers from Radboud found a lot of articles claiming to reduce brain damage. But on closer inspection, many papers in the field have suspicious errors, caused by a lack of self-correction. Read the paper here: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/ar…

Science grows through failure as much as success. In our first Trial & Error Symposium we explored how to make openness, uncertainty, and null results part of research culture. Read the full recap here: blog.trialanderror.org/trial-and-erro…

Does breaking protocol lead to new discoveries? A student researching electricity generation from wood did exactly that. Through a clever analogy, and the courage to challenge models, the student discovered the Popcorn effect. Reflections on the event: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/popcorn-ef…