Recommendations and tools to enable reproducibility in 2D materials research
Research on 2D materials has achieved significant milestones and fuelled a rapidly growing industrial sector. This progress, however, is accompanied by challenges in reproducibility, arising from the atomic thinness, fragility, and environmental sensitivity of these materials. Subtle variations in methods or materials can lead to drastically different outcomes, undermining reliability and slowing down both scientific and technological advances. At the same time, academic publishing and funding systems continue to place greater value on novelty than on efforts to improve reproducibility. This Expert Recommendation outlines concrete, actions researchers can take to improve reproducibility in 2D materials science. We introduce two tools - STEP (Standardised Template for Experimental Procedures) and ReChart (Reproducibility Charter) - designed to support rigorous documentation and transparent sharing of protocols, failure modes, and raw data. To illustrate the application of STEP, we provide three detailed examples covering key processes in 2D materials research: graphene growth by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on copper foil, wet transfer of CVD graphene, and dry assembly of van der Waals heterostructures. We offer practical recommendations that spans the full research process and show how researchers can engage constructively with stakeholders across academia, funding, publishing, and industry to create a stronger basis for reproducibility, transparency and trust in the field.