Replication Package Pre-check

For researchers and research assistants preparing a social-science replication package: check a deposited package for missing README details, file references and undeclared software packages. Supply a Zenodo DOI, a Zenodo record link or a direct HTTPS link to a ZIP, and get a Markdown report and structured findings.

The Actor reads files without running your research code (a static check). It cannot tell you whether the results reproduce or whether a journal will accept the package.

What it checks

• README text for data availability, software versions, run instructions, expected runtime and table or figure instructions.
• File references in Stata, R, Python and Jupyter code, with partial MATLAB support, for inputs the checker cannot find in the package or recognize as generated files.
• Absolute paths and Stata, R or Python dependencies that the checker cannot find declared in installation code, bundled files or documentation. It does not inspect an installed software environment.
• Input data filenames that do not appear in the README.
• Variable names in code and CSV or TSV headers that resemble personal-data fields.
• Large files, unopened archives and code formats outside the parser's coverage.

README checks use text patterns, not a judgment of whether the documentation is complete. File and software-package checks use recognized code patterns, so filenames built from variables, Stata macros and unusual file-writing code can cause missed findings or false alarms. The personal-data check looks for names, not all identifying values; it is not a privacy audit.

Run a check

Add your sources to Packages, then start the Actor. The Actor processes at most 20 unique sources per run; additional sources are ignored. For example:

{
  "packages": ["10.5281/zenodo.21738601"]
}

A Zenodo source downloads the record's available files. For a ZIP link, point directly to the archive, not a repository landing page. Only link to packages you have permission to process. Sources must be publicly accessible without login; Harvard Dataverse links and non-Zenodo DOIs are not supported. The default download limit is 1,000 MB per package, adjustable up to 5,000 MB. Oversized downloads are rejected. Each downloaded ZIP must expand to no more than 3 GB; ZIPs inside it are also subject to an extraction limit. Site restrictions may prevent a download.

Read the results

The dataset contains a row for each processed source, with its status, findings and counts by section. Fetch failures appear as errors. Open Report (Markdown) for the readable combined report, or Run summary for the summary.

The report separates findings into:

• To fix: a possible problem detected by a rule. Check the explanation before changing your package; a missing input may be intentionally restricted and already documented.
• To confirm by hand: the checker cannot decide, for example when another script may create a file.
• To look at: an informational finding to review.

Review the coverage section as well as the findings. A clean report means these checks found no issues; it does not certify completeness, reproducibility, journal compliance or the absence of personal data. The Actor does not repair files or run a replication.

Example finding

In a real package, the checker reported that Stata command reghdfe was used but it could not find an installation instruction, bundled copy or README declaration. This is a finding to review, not a confirmed defect: check the package's setup instructions before adding or changing anything.

Source: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22901436; build 0.2.2 (VllMQpCrvWCQaqf6g), run nTlKNnTEeskJa7N0O, report REPORT-7.md, 18 October 2026. This example shows the report's form, not an accuracy score.

Price

US$0.05 per checked package, plus the Actor start charge of US$0.00005 per GB of run memory (minimum US$0.00005 per run). A run checking one package at 1 GB costs US$0.05005; ten packages at the same memory cost US$0.50005. No additional platform usage fee is charged under this pricing model.

A failed download has no package-check fee, but the start charge still applies. The package fee buys the static report, including when the report finds no issues.

Your files and support

Temporary package downloads and extracted files are deleted when the check finishes. Reports, source links and findings remain in the run's Apify storage; reports can include filenames, code fragments and variable names from the package. Avoid linking to confidential material or URLs containing credentials.

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