Picking a venue/conference

The ideal venue

While you usually shouldn’t turn down an opportunity to host a reproducibility workshop because the venue is suboptimal, the ideal venue should:

• Be free

• Be associated with a larger event or conference

• Have multiple presentation options ie:

  • A projector for slides (with various ways to connect a computer)

  • Space for audio/video recording for a livestream

  • Space to organize a panel

  • Space to organize group discussions (small groups or a ring of chairs)

  • White boards or chalk boards

• Be easy to find and access

• Have room for tool demonstrations

• Have catering options

At minimum, the venue should

• Have enough space and seating for all attendees

• Have a screen for presentations

Tips for picking a venue

1. When possible, choose a venue that is part of a larger conference or event In the past, we’ve noticed that reproducibility workshops have more attendees when they are associated with larger events. While researchers may not travel or set aside time specifically to attend a reproducibility workshop (they have experiments to do after all), they will include a reproducibility workshop in their schedule when attending a larger conference. To secure space for a workshop at a conference, you should contact the organizers early and clearly state your needs. Avoid hosting the workshop at a venue only peripherally associated with the conference or for which you have to pay. The workshop room should be in the same facility as the rest of the conference.

2. If you’re planning to host a workshop at a local university, reach out to student or postdoc groups at the university Student and postdoc groups including science policy, science communication, graduate student associations, and postdoc associations can provide many resources and help you find an appropriate venue at their associated universities. These types of organizations often have direct contact with administrators who can help reserve rooms as well as the appropriate technical equipment (often for free) and can help connect you with university catering services.

3. Encourage student and postdoc groups to be the official hosts of reproducibility workshops Having student and postdoc groups including science policy, science communication, graduate student associations, and postdoc associations officially host reproducibility workshops will make these events easier to organize logistically (an outside group may not be allowed to reserve a room at a university for instance) and may give you access to listservs or other internal student communication methods that will help promote the event.