Reproducibility, open science and progression in soil erosion research - our letter to the editor published in
@Geoderma_Jrnl @KAnderson_RS @timquine @John_Quinton Richard Brazier et al. https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1d1Bh3p6oQ6vt  1/9

The letter responds to correspondence we received following our publication last year: National-scale geodata describe widespread accelerated soil erosion https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2020.114378… 2/9

It was quite daunting to receive a published response to my first lead author paper, but replying was a great opportunity to reflect on and articulate how I think soil erosion research should be carried out. Here are some thoughts: 3/9

Soil erosion monitoring techniques and experimental designs that promote reproducibility, with quantifiable uncertainty, are essential if we are to progress our understanding of soil erosion and improve model accuracy. 4/9

Recent and continuing advances in remote and proximal sensing technologies will revolutionise how we collect data on environmental condition, and highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaborations when tackling wicked environmental problems. 5/9

In the Anthropocene, sharing data on environmental problems should be the norm. Transparent data sharing increases the cost-effectiveness of studies and allows the reproducibility of the methods to be robustly assessed. 6/9

We need to be critically and actively open to new ideas, from a diverse range of voices, to allow the field to progress. Research is meant to be dynamic, not stagnate, it is short-sighted to halt progress to novelty from yesteryear. 7/9

Seek out supportive collaborators. I’ve been lucky enough to work with @KAnderson_RS @timquine @John_Quinton , Miriam Glendell, Luke Farrow, Mike James, Martin Evans, Jane Rickson and Rich Brazier, and I can’t thank them enough! 8/9

And finally, be kind to ECRs. While your flippant email might be another day in the office for you, chances are it will remain firmly in their memory for years. 9/9