I think it's healthy that this discussion expresses amazement, skepticism, methodological questions, and observations about competition for public media attention, and frequent instances of journals cynically manipulating publication for maximal sensationalism under a scientific patina.
Strictly my own imagination, but I'm anticipating the introduction down the road of the world's most advanced hair removal system that gives cyclists a big aerodynamic advantage proven by scientific tests. Yes buy the XYZ system and fly to victory! Wow, I really am jaded, but too many times we've seen it happen.
So much bad science obscures the good work because the latter doesn't make the news, it's far too boring to attract attention. It's the small incremental, tedious, repetitious, careful, persistent work that provides the real advances. Edison I think said, "we find 20,000 ways it doesn't work" and learn something every time we try.
I propose a simple set of remedies. Journals should give highest priority to publishing careful replications of prior studies, whether it's yes/no/maybe. Negative studies whether original or replications are give as much priority and those confirmatory. Novel associations are of course welcome if meeting standards of adequate power to discern something beyond quirky results.
Ultimately, the impact of hyperbolic claims about the meaning of research causes the greatest distortions of scientific process and progress. Journal editors can solve the great bulk of misinformation their journals promulgate. It's remarkably simple. All they have to do is issue an edict, all that authors can write about are the history, background, what they did and factual results of their work. These "rules" apply to observational and experimental work all the same. IOW it would be forbidden to draw conclusions about the what the outcomes mean, what is proven, or what "causes" what.
Sure giving context about past results is necessary and usefully informative, but conclusions are for we the readers to determine. If this was the case, suddenly the strident "answers" and premature incorporation of findings into practice will be sharply reduced. Hysteria will subside. We can then actually use our scientific talent to accomplish honest goals, and solve the real and daunting problems we actually have.
Perhaps this seems a radical view and maybe it is. It's not whether I'm right or anybody will make any of these substantial changes. It is about getting back to careful thoughtful scientific inquiry and reducing misdirected human energies.
Strictly my own imagination, but I'm anticipating the introduction down the road of the world's most advanced hair removal system that gives cyclists a big aerodynamic advantage proven by scientific tests. Yes buy the XYZ system and fly to victory! Wow, I really am jaded, but too many times we've seen it happen.
So much bad science obscures the good work because the latter doesn't make the news, it's far too boring to attract attention. It's the small incremental, tedious, repetitious, careful, persistent work that provides the real advances. Edison I think said, "we find 20,000 ways it doesn't work" and learn something every time we try.
I propose a simple set of remedies. Journals should give highest priority to publishing careful replications of prior studies, whether it's yes/no/maybe. Negative studies whether original or replications are give as much priority and those confirmatory. Novel associations are of course welcome if meeting standards of adequate power to discern something beyond quirky results.
Ultimately, the impact of hyperbolic claims about the meaning of research causes the greatest distortions of scientific process and progress. Journal editors can solve the great bulk of misinformation their journals promulgate. It's remarkably simple. All they have to do is issue an edict, all that authors can write about are the history, background, what they did and factual results of their work. These "rules" apply to observational and experimental work all the same. IOW it would be forbidden to draw conclusions about the what the outcomes mean, what is proven, or what "causes" what.
Sure giving context about past results is necessary and usefully informative, but conclusions are for we the readers to determine. If this was the case, suddenly the strident "answers" and premature incorporation of findings into practice will be sharply reduced. Hysteria will subside. We can then actually use our scientific talent to accomplish honest goals, and solve the real and daunting problems we actually have.
Perhaps this seems a radical view and maybe it is. It's not whether I'm right or anybody will make any of these substantial changes. It is about getting back to careful thoughtful scientific inquiry and reducing misdirected human energies.