Editorial for the Special Issue on Reproducibility Unavailable

Experimental research is an essential component in the field of evolutionary computation (EC). The scientific method requires that empirical results are reproducible. Reproducibility of experiments also helps later researchers build upon the work of previous researchers. Interest in improving reproducibility in computer science and other empirical sciences has grown in recent years and there is a growing number of works analyzing current and best practices, obstacles and guidelines, effectiveness of journal policies, etc. Reproducibility issues in the context of EC have been a topic of discussion for a long time in the context of best practices for empirical research, but there are few studies analyzing reproducibility in EC research, and reproducibility studies themselves are extremely rare. There is room for improvement to attain the minimum standards for reproducibility encouraged in other scientific fields. Reproducibility goes beyond making implementation of algorithms publicly available. Challenges for reproducibility in EC research arise from...