'Open science must be accessible to everyone'
Mathilde Verdam and Julian Karch (Methodology and Statistics) have been awarded a grant as co-applicants by Openscience NL to promote "Open software for statistically responsible research".
Open science is no longer a niche. Increasingly, researchers want transparent, accessible, and reproducible work. Powerful statistical methods are often only available through expensive commercial software.
Structural equation modeling—SEM—is a powerful method for representing and testing complex theories, and is used in a wide range of disciplines: psychology, education, communication science, sociology, and medicine. It's a popular and flexible method, but unfortunately, it's often locked away due to licensing fees.
The project Mathilde and Julian are involved in focuses on improving and expanding the best available open-source SEM package, lavaan. The goal is to offer researchers and lecturers a free, open, yet professional-quality alternative. A package that is not only accessible, but also sustainable, reliable, and future-proof.
Mathilde Verdam: "We are pleased that M&S Psychology Leiden is part of this important project and can thus contribute to the institute's open science ambitions. Moreover, it's especially rewarding to collaborate with this group of inspiring open science researchers."