# Open and reproducible research in musculoskeletal imaging: why it matters and how to implement it with the guidelines of the Open and Reproducible Musculoskeletal Imaging Research (ORMIR) community

## TL;DR

This paper promotes open and reproducible research practices in musculoskeletal imaging and provides practical guidelines for implementing them.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a framework for transparent research in musculoskeletal imaging, emphasizing data, code, and publication integration.

## Key findings

- Open research improves transparency and reproducibility in musculoskeletal imaging.
- A structured approach combining data, code, and publications is recommended for computational studies.
- Adopting open practices is a learning process that requires starting and continuous improvement.

## Abstract

The Open and Reproducible Musculoskeletal Imaging Research community is a scientific community dedicated to promoting openness and reproducibility in musculoskeletal imaging, image processing, and computational modeling. In this perspective paper, we outline the motivations for conducting transparent research and provide practical guidelines for implementing it. We start by defining open and reproducible research and describing the benefits and challenges of working transparently. Next, we redefine the outputs of a computational research study as—ideally—a combination of data, code, and a publication, recommend a folder and file structure that reflects these three study outcomes, and describe how to maintain and update such a structure during the study and at study publication. Finally, we emphasize that working in an open and reproducible manner is a learning process, and the best way to acquire the necessary competencies is simply to start.

Graphical Abstract