Version 1
: Received: 4 April 2018 / Approved: 5 April 2018 / Online: 5 April 2018 (10:54:09 CEST)
How to cite:
Wass, M.N.; Ray, L.; Michaelis, M. Researcher Conduct Determines Data Reliability. Preprints2018, 2018040068. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201804.0068.v1.
Wass, M.N.; Ray, L.; Michaelis, M. Researcher Conduct Determines Data Reliability. Preprints 2018, 2018040068. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201804.0068.v1.
Cite as:
Wass, M.N.; Ray, L.; Michaelis, M. Researcher Conduct Determines Data Reliability. Preprints2018, 2018040068. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201804.0068.v1.
Wass, M.N.; Ray, L.; Michaelis, M. Researcher Conduct Determines Data Reliability. Preprints 2018, 2018040068. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201804.0068.v1.
Abstract
A lack of data reproducibility (“reproducibility crisis”) is debated across many scientific and medical disciplines. A systematic analysis of the available evidence on the reliability of scientific data revealed that, although the existence of a reproducibility crisis is widely perceived, conclusive data on the scale of the problem are lacking. Most importantly we found that, although the debate is largely focused on methodological issues, researcher conduct defines research standards and in turn data reliability. The availability of reliable methods itself does not guarantee good practice. Moreover, research is typically characterised by a lack of established methods due to its immanent novelty. Despite the crucial importance of researcher conduct, research and conclusive data on the determinants of researcher behaviour are missing. In conclusion, meta-research is urgently needed that establishes an understanding of the factors that determine researcher behaviour. This knowledge can then be used to implement and iteratively improve measures, which incentivise researchers to apply the highest standards resulting in high quality data.
Keywords
reproducibility crisis; replication crisis; data reliability; bias; publication bias; meta-research
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.