Exploratory and confirmatory research in the open science era

1. Applied ecological research is increasingly inspired by the Open Science movement. However, new challenges about how we define our science when biodiversity data is being shared and re-used are not solved. Among these challenges is the risk associated with blurring the distinction between research that mainly seeks to explore patterns with no a-priori articulated hypotheses (exploratory research), and research that explicitly tests a-priori formulated hypotheses (confirmatory research).

2. A rapid screening of a random selection of peer-reviewed articles suggests that neither experimental protocols nor hypothesis-testing sensu stricto are common in applied ecological research. In addition, most experiments are carried out on small spatial scales, which contrast with current global policy needs and research trends towards addressing large spatial and temporal scales. This latter trend make it unfeasible for policy to rely mainly on insights gained from experimental research.

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