I disagree. A scientist could read a single paper and find out n is small, or identify a flaw.
But there are loads of papers like this.
Then you have some literature studies which look at all these papers together and get result aggregates.
Then you get some “proper” studies which link to these aggregates, and several small studies, and you’re going to read these “proper” studies which are quoted often and deemed decent or good quality.
And at no point will you realise it’s all based on shoddy foundations.
This is for example what recently happened in social psychology
But there are loads of papers like this. Then you have some literature studies which look at all these papers together and get result aggregates.
Then you get some “proper” studies which link to these aggregates, and several small studies, and you’re going to read these “proper” studies which are quoted often and deemed decent or good quality.
And at no point will you realise it’s all based on shoddy foundations.
This is for example what recently happened in social psychology