How to contribute to ReFiNe
Researchers can directly contribute to ReFiNe conducting a direct replication study using data that they have access to (either institutional access or openly available datasets) as a replication dataset. ReFiNe follows a decentralized collaborative concept in which participating research groups perform all analyses locally using their own datasets while following harmonized replication protocols. No transfer of individual participant data to ReFiNe is required.
Contribution workflow:
- Identify a suitable replication target using either the curated collection of eligible findings in the ReFiNe-Hub or by selecting a replication target manually and checking eligibility.
- Evaluate replication feasibility by assessing the compatibility between the original study and the available replication dataset.
- Send replication plan for review by ReFiNe team with information on how the original study methods are copied in the planned replication.
- Conduct the replication study following the standardized ReFiNe replication protocols.
- Report the replication results using standardized results reporting forms to be analyzed in the overall ReFiNe project.
- Optionally: publish individual replication results (see below)
Publication of replication findings and authorship
Replication findings can be published on two levels:
Overall ReFiNe publication: All completed individual replication attempts will be summarized in a meta-analysis and results will be reported in one overarching publication. The current publication strategy is to submit a Registered Report prior to the start of the project, allowing the study design and analysis plan to be peer-reviewed before the results are known. All researchers involved in at least one completed individual replication attempt will be included as a co-author on this publication, in accordance with established authorship guidelines
Publication of individual replication results: Independent of the collaborative publication, replication teams may publish their individual replication study results separately if desired. In such cases, we ask that the ReFiNe project lead (Janik Goltermann) and if applicable, additional ReFiNe team members who made substantial scientific contributions to the respective replication study are included as co-authors in accordance with established authorship guidelines.
Current contributors
ReFiNe core team
Janik Goltermann (project lead) - Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Luisa Altegoer - Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany
Dunya Bedir - Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany
Replication teams of the pilot study
A series of individual replications is currently ongoing in a pilot study of ReFiNe (ReFiNe-MDD). Researchers that are part of individual replication teams can be found in our OSF repository of the project (each individual replication attempt linked as a separate component): ReFiNe-MDD OSF
2026 OHBM BrainHack contributors
The ReFiNe concept was presented and discussed during the OHBM 2026 BrainHack in Bordeaux, where feedback from the broader BrainHack community helped refine the project and its planned infrastructure. In addition to this valuable community input, the following contributors played central roles in developing the ReFiNe-Hub as a means of coordinating and harmonizing replications: