Advancing openness in economic research through the lens of behavioral and experimental economics

• Open Science adoption can be conceptualized as a process of normative change • A utility-based model can be used to understand individual researchers’ decisions to adopt Open Science • Empirical research on how incentives, research environments and individual differences shape research norm compliance is needed Open Science adoption may be seen as a process of normative change: Researchers must decide whether they will integrate Open Science principles into their work. Here, I outline first steps for developing a utility function, modeling individual researchers’ choices to engage in Open (OS) or Covert (CR) Research. In addition, I suggest examining economic games for their potential to partially model decision settings in which researchers operate. I argue that empirically studying the influence of researcher considerations, research environments and the academic incentive system on research norm compliance is a promising basis for developing targeted interventions and designing effective institutions in which robust and transparent research practices become the norm.