"We developed the Compass tool to transform the publishing landscape and make it easier for researchers to share their negative findings. We understand that the challenge goes beyond individuals — making negative results more visible will take shared effort across the research community, including journals, funders, and institutions."
— A/Prof Sandra Petty
Null Compass aims to transform negative or inconclusive research findings into valuable scientific contributions by helping biomedical researchers properly classify, frame, and publish these results.
We believe that addressing publication bias is crucial for scientific progress. By providing researchers with the tools and guidance to publish their negative findings, we help create a more complete scientific record and reduce redundant research.
A/Prof Sandra Petty and Dr Hugo Stephenson founded the Center for Biomedical Research Transparency and the Null Hypothesis initiative to create space for null results in major biomedical journals.
The CBMRT team developed a systematic approach to classifying negative research based on factors like study design rigor, statistical power, methodology, and the nature of the result. They also supported created space in leading journals for hundreds of authors to publish their negative results.
The team privately hosted and trained their own LLM (based on Meta LLAMA) to analyze core aspects of null findings and suggest tailored options for publication based on a unique classification framework. The LLM would also generates a draft abstract that highlighted the scientific value of the study, inspiring researchers overcome a key hurdle in the publication process.
The project received a significant grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, enabling wide deployment, community feedback, and scaling.
The Compass is openly available for all researchers seeking to publish their negative results.
The Null Compass initiative is hosted by the Centre for Biomedical Research Transparency (CBMRT), a New York based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving the discoverability and integrity of all biomedical research — including negative and inconclusive findings.