Enhancing the quality and reproducibility of research: Preferred Evaluation of Cognitive and Neuropsychological Studies - The PECANS statement for human studies

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • on behalf of the PECANS Extended Working Group - (Author)
  • Chair of Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
  • University of Padua
  • IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale San Camillo - Venezia
  • University of Trento
  • Emory University
  • University of Bologna
  • Ghent University
  • Cardiff University
  • Bath Spa University
  • Radboud University Nijmegen
  • University College London
  • Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo)
  • Bielefeld University
  • German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) Partner site Bochum / Marburg
  • Stanford University
  • Indiana University Bloomington
  • University of Amsterdam
  • University of California at Davis
  • George Mason University
  • University of Pavia

Abstract

Are scientific papers providing all essential details necessary to ensure the replicability of study protocols? Are authors effectively conveying study design, data analysis, and the process of drawing inferences from their results? These represent only a fraction of the pressing questions that cognitive psychology and neuropsychology face in addressing the “crisis of confidence.” This crisis has highlighted numerous shortcomings in the journey from research to publication. To address these shortcomings, we introduce PECANS (Preferred Evaluation of Cognitive And Neuropsychological Studies), a comprehensive checklist tool designed to guide the planning, execution, evaluation, and reporting of experimental research. PECANS emerged from a rigorous consensus-building process through the Delphi method. We convened a panel of international experts specialized in cognitive psychology and neuropsychology research practices. Through two rounds of iterative voting and a proof-of-concept phase, PECANS evolved into its final form. The PECANS checklist is intended to serve various stakeholders in the fields of cognitive sciences and neuropsychology, including: (i) researchers seeking to ensure and enhance reproducibility and rigor in their research; (ii) journal editors and reviewers assessing the quality of reports; (iii) ethics committees and funding agencies; (iv) students approaching methodology and scientific writing. PECANS is a versatile tool intended not only to improve the quality and transparency of individual research projects but also to foster a broader culture of rigorous scientific inquiry across the academic and research community.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number182
JournalBehavior research methods
Volume57
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - 30 May 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 40447861
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/187562786

Keywords