2 BE or not 2 BE reproducible: The Belgian Reproducibility Network as part of the European Network of Reproducibility Networks

The Belgian Reproducibility Network (BE-RN) was launched in November 2022 with the mission to support reproducibility in all academic disciplines in the Belgian research landscape. It is modelled after existing reproducibility networks such as the UK-RN, the Swiss RN, and the German RN. In those networks, the term reproducibility is used as an umbrella term that includes open science practices, computational reproducibility, replicability, transparency, and accessibility of scientific work. The BE-RN consists of a national steering group and an international advisory board. However, the network is based on the grassroots activities of local nodes, which are increasingly active within different Belgian universities. The local nodes of the BR-RN are at the Université de Liège, Ghent University, KU Leuven, the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, and the Université libre de Bruxelles.

The aim of the BE-RN is not only to support researchers striving to improve their scientific practices, but also to unite already existing initiatives and, ultimately, become a voice supporting reproducibility in dialogue with universities, funding bodies, academies, and other scientific organizations. The BE-RN thus creates a network of Belgian initiatives while being part of the European and Global Network of Reproducibility Networks. As the aim of the BE-RN is not to replace existing initiatives but rather to promote them and help them reach a larger audience, or to be reached by researchers in need of support, we collaborate with existing initiatives such as the Flemish Research Data Network and the Data Ambassadors initiative of the universities of the Brussels–Wallonia Federation. We share upcoming events of different projects across our — currently still irregular — newsletter and our website. Ultimately, we also aim to provide a library of resources on our website, enabling researchers and those interested in reproducibility to access both national, in-person resources — such as contacts to local colleagues who can assist directly (e.g., members of a university's local node) — and international online resources, such as the FORRT Educational Nexus.