TReQ Tools: How to Improve Transparency, Reproducibility and Quality in Energy Research

This working paper provides a toolkit to help energy researchers conduct transparent, reproducible (where appropriate) and quality research -- or TReQ research for short.

Energy use is key to global challenges such as climate change, while also playing an important role in the day-to-day lives of people and communities. But how sure can we be that the research done in these areas is providing reliable findings?

Unlike in fields such as medicine, energy research has not adopted many of the tools and practices needed to maximise the transparency, quality and reproducibility of studies. The consequence of this is that evidence-based policy and practice may be built on shaky foundations.

This document aims to set out the principles and tools that all energy researchers should now consider bringing to their work. It provides practical instruction on approaches such as pre-analysis plans, reporting guidelines and systematic evidence reviews that are widely used in other fields to support TReQ research.

Crucially, it draws on the recognition that real-world research can be messy and unpredictable – and therefore considers how best to design and conduct resilient research under these circumstances. Applicable for quantitative and qualitative approaches in a wide range of disciplines, we hope this developing document will be a useful reference for energy and buildings researchers everywhere, whether in training or in practice.