We brought the Journal of Trial and Error to NWO ICT.OPEN and NWO NAC over the past two weeks.
Great conversations on negative results, failed approaches, and what we usually don’t publish but should.
A big thank you to everyone who joined the Trial and Error City Tour on March 31st!
Organised together with Utrecht Time Machine and De Nieuwe Utrechtse School, and part of the Lustrum of Utrecht University.
Want to explore the route digitally? utrechttimemachine.nl/routes/trial...
Have you worked in academia for at least one year, and would you like to reflect on your experiences with others who have since left? Join our event on May 7, from 20:00, at Utrecht University Library City Center.
Register for the event here: trialanderror.org/lustrum-ex-a...
Studenten binnen gezondheidszorg opgelet (geneeskunde, mbo/hbo Verpleegkunde, en andere opleidingen binnen gezondheidszorg)!
Inschrijven kan via deze link: trialanderror.org/lustrum-fail...
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Is reproducible research an achievable goal and what does it take to get there? In this latest article Horbach et al. asked publishers, funders, and researchers what they see as the biggest barriers and enablers. Read more: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/barriers...
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Have you ever searched for the latest Hollywood movie on an academic research platform? Probably not, but someone did put it there. A new article investigates how platforms like the OSF have been exploited for piracy, phishing, and other scams. Read more: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/platform...
Are preprints doing more harm than good? Do editors actually check preregistrations? And are the statistical methods we rely on trustworthy? Volume 6, Issue 1 tackles these questions and more. Read it here: assets.pubpub.org/c27d9a5c8-30...
How do you start a Diamond Open Access journal? Muriel Strange breaks it down in our latest blog - funding, DOIs, infrastructure, and more. No paywalls, no fees, fully open. Check it out: blog.trialanderror.org/behind-the-s...
If a study is underpowered, can we trust its findings? A new study by Léonard and Tirelli finds that statistical power in nicotine conditioned place preference research is critically low and effect sizes are likely inflated. Read more: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/statisti...
Are we measuring political polarization wrong? In 60% of affective polarization studies, researchers use difference scores - a method with serious conceptual and statistical problems.
Lukas K. Sotola reviews the issues and offers a better approach: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/polyvari...
On the afternoon of March 31st, the Journal of Trial and Error, in collaboration with Utrecht Time Machine, organizes the Trial and Error City Tour. During this guided walk, you will hear stories about what went wrong in the city’s past.
Sign up here: trialanderror.org/lustrum-tria....
In de middag van 31 maart organiseert het Journal of Trial and Error in samenwerking met Utrecht Time Machine de Trial and Error City Tour.
Ben je benieuwd hoe Utrecht met vallen en opstaan is ontstaan? Geef je op via deze link: trialanderror.org/lustrum-tria....
Last week, our Co-Founder, Stefan Gaillard, gave a talk in the UU Academy Building discussing how many researchers don't do perfect science.
You can see more details here: www.sg.uu.nl/en and on the event, including a stream recording (in Dutch) here: www.sg.uu.nl/video/2026/0....
Wij nodigen ambtenaren, bestuurders, beleidsmakers en andere betrokkenen uit om faalverhalen te delen.
Wil je jouw verhaal delen dan nodigen uit dit in te sturen voor het Failure Story Festival op 17 april bij Bibliotheek Neude.
Stuur jouw faalverhaal hier - trialanderror.org/failurestory....
Werk je in de publieke sector en wil je graag het festival bijwonen? Dat kan. Schrijf je in via deze link: trialanderror.org/failurestory.... Het festival is gratis en er is een beperkte beschikbaarheid van tickets.
Have you worked in an academic setting for at least one year? Would you like to reflect on your experiences with others who have since left?
Join our event on May 7, from 20:00, at Utrecht University Library City Center.
Register here: trialanderror.org/lustrum-ex-a...
📣 We are happy to announce the special issue “Scientific bubbles: definitions, context, and approaches” in Studies in History and Philosophy of Science with guest editors from Nanobubbles.
⏰ Deadline: 15th of July 2026!
🔗 More information in www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...
As a diamond open-access journal, our work is free for everyone, but it’s only possible with your support! If you believe in the importance of open science (and learning from errors), please consider donating this Christmas.
🎁 Donate here: trialanderror.org/donate 🎁
Thank you for your support!
Is it time for a revolution in medicine? The drive to reduce ‘waste’ in health research has dominated the research cycle for decades.
This special issue of the Journal of Trial and Error focuses on rethinking ‘failure’, and its role in scientific progress: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/embracin...
How does attention shape addiction?
The new research reflection published in the Journal of Trial and Error suggests it might not be as straightforward as once thought; it’s a dynamic, context-dependent process.
If you are interested, see the article: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/attentio....
Is the foundation of science crumbling? Researchers from Radboud found a lot of articles claiming to reduce brain damage. But on closer inspection, many papers in the field have suspicious errors, caused by a lack of self-correction. Read the paper here:
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Does breaking protocol lead to new discoveries?
A student researching electricity generation from wood did exactly that. Through a clever analogy, and the courage to challenge models, the student discovered the Popcorn effect.
Reflections on the event:
journal.trialanderror.org/pub/popcorn-...
Have you checked JOTE's latest article on this potential new method for studying brain health?
The article explores a method to detect blood–brain barrier (BBB)-specific extracellular vesicles (EVs) circulating in peripheral blood.
Read more here: journal.trialanderror.org/pub/extracel...
Have you read the recent Editorial in Nature regarding disinformation about acetaminophen by American political or “public health” figures?
Read more here: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
We had a wonderful day at the Trial & Error Award Symposium!
A special thank-you to our co-organizers and sponsors - De Nieuwe Utrechtse School, Utrecht Young Academy, Young Academy Twente, @museumoffailure.bsky.social, Descartes Centre, GKG Impact Grant, and NWO OS Fund.
We are excited to welcome you all tomorrow from 10.00 to 17.30!
Just a reminder that the location is Lange Nieuwstraat 106, 3512 PN. If you’d like to type it into your maps, here is the link - www.google.com/maps/place/U....
The livestream can be found here - youtube.com/live/UaCo7O0....
Big News!
The Journal of Trial and Error is officially listed on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)! 🎉

After years of hard work, our mission is now even more accessible to researchers worldwide.

🌟Find us here: doaj.org/toc/2667-120...
Have you reflected on how to combat widespread misinformation in your community? This recently published article may have just the suggestion!
The authors of the reflection discuss the gamified ‘inoculation’ game in rural India.
Read more here:
journal.trialanderror.org/pub/gamified...
Would you like to support and celebrate yours and other ‘failures’ in science that contribute to the advancement of methodological and sound scientific research?
Look out for more updates and announcements regarding the symposium!
You can register on our website-
trialanderror.org/symposium-2025.
Would you like to support and celebrate yours and other ‘failures’ in science that contribute to the advancement of methodological and sound scientific research?
Look out for more updates and announcements regarding the symposium!
You can register on our website-
trialanderror.org/symposium-2025.