Share some negative data in 2015 | Kenneth Witwer | LinkedIn

" ... While the ‘no’ answer cannot be as important as the ‘yes,’ it still has value. Science is exploration of the unknown. That’s why hypotheses, however well founded, are usually wrong, and why most experiments have negative results. How can we know what has been explored, though, unless someone has blazed a trail, putting down markers in the wilderness of that unknown? The ‘no’ result, furthermore, takes on enhanced importance when it stands in contrast to a previous ‘yes’…that is, when there’s an indication that we might want to reconsider before pumping more exploration resources into an initially promising but possibly misleading direction. How can we better mark the trail of negative results so other scientists can benefit from our experiences? Certainly, several journals exist for the express purpose of publishing negative results. These journals were founded because of the perceived barriers to publication in traditional outlets. Without taking a position on the value of these journals or whether they're necessary, I would point out that negative results can be published elsewhere. A growing number of journals like PLOS ONE, Scientific Reports, and BMC Research Notes encourage submission of negative results. If you value negative findings, submit your work to them. Should you encounter resistance based on the traditional novelty and impact criteria, don't hesitate to remind the editor and reviewers that negative findings are welcome. Even higher impact journals are often willing to consider negative results, especially as letters to the editor. In a recent case, Nature Biotechnology published a negative results paper contradicting previous findings, even though the original study had been published elsewhere. Make a strong case in the submission letter accompanying your manuscript, and you might be surprised at the willingness to consider negative data. Although peer-reviewed publication should be seen as the ultimate destination of data, positive or negative, there are also ways to share your negative results with the community prior to publication. For example, you can ..."