Better Access, Better Science, Better Knowledge
lterrat's bookmarks 2017-06-08
Summary:
"If you’ve read some of my editorials on scientific publishing in the past, you may have gotten the (correct) impression that I’m an avid proponent of open-access. I strongly believe it is one of the keys to the future of scientific development and innovation. That’s why a recent study from Penn State researchers caught my eye.
According to Rick Gilmore, associate professor of psychology at the university, data sharing may actually play a significant role in science’s reproducibility crisis.
For years, the popular criticism of scientific researchers has been their inability to reproduce certain studies, including high-profile paper retractions such as the memorable STAP stem cells paper out of the Riken Institute a few years ago. Couple that to the life sciences industry, where some studies have demonstrated that an estimated 50 percent of published data is irreproducible. All of a sudden it’s not a problem—it’s a crisis.
But, Gilmore may have a somewhat simple approach.
According to his study, in psychological and brain sciences at least, irreproducibility has more to do with the complexity of managing data, rather than incorrect or hidden methods and results."