WAPOR Transparency Committee Advances Key Initiatives at Annual Conference

May 15, 2025
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At the 2025 WAPOR Annual Conference in St. Louis, the Special Committee on Transparency presented its latest efforts to enhance openness and accountability across all WAPOR activities. The committee, chaired by Gary Langer, outlined progress on four major initiatives:

  • IJPOR Transparency Policy: A new policy aligned with TOP Level 2 guidelines was developed and endorsed, requiring authors of accepted papers to archive replication materials in approved public repositories. This policy, aimed at bolstering reproducibility, includes detailed requirements for data sharing and exemptions based on compelling ethical or legal rationale.

  • WAPOR Code and Transparency Alliance: Updates to WAPOR’s Code of Ethics are under review to strengthen transparency expectations. A new WAPOR Transparency Alliance is also proposed, offering institutional recognition for transparency compliance without requiring burdensome documentation, along with educational components and a proposed alliance logo.

  • Conference and Webinar Guidelines: New principles for transparency in conference abstract submissions, paper disclosures, and webinars were introduced. These include a star rating system to assess transparency levels in conference programs and mechanisms to share reviewer feedback with authors.

  • Sunshine Policy: A draft policy for greater access to WAPOR’s institutional records was presented, advocating for a balance between public accessibility and operational efficiency. Plans include digitizing archival records and prioritizing the release of final documents over deliberative materials.

For more information, see the full presentation here: WAPOR Transparency Committee presentation_5-14-25