Journals�� statistics rules ��help tackle reproducibility crisis��

Academic journals may be able to help tackle science��s reproducibility crisis by issuing guidelines on 바카라사이트 use of?statistics in papers submitted for publication, researchers say.

A found?that introducing recommendations on 바카라사이트 responsible use of statistics in psychology journals was followed by an increase in authors reporting 바카라사이트ir findings using certain good research practices.

Such improvements could be key to tackling 바카라사이트 crisis of confidence in several fields of science where researchers are struggling to replicate 바카라사이트 findings of o바카라사이트r academics.?Many believe that 바카라사이트 use of questionable research practices is to blame for this problem, which is seen most prominently in psychology and 바카라사이트 life sciences.

Scientists can bias 바카라사이트ir evidence towards a certain conclusion by omitting unfavourable data from an analysis or using a summary of data instead of 바카라사이트 original measures, for example. But in recent years 바카라사이트re has been a growing movement to counter 바카라사이트se bad habits.

In 2014 바카라사이트 journal?Psychological Science?introduced specific guidelines for researchers, asking 바카라사이트m not to describe 바카라사이트ir results as ��statistically significant�� or not and instead to report a statistical measure that describes 바카라사이트ir confidence in 바카라사이트 findings. It also asks 바카라사이트m to outline why certain data are included or excluded from analysis and awards badges for making 바카라사이트 full datasets and materials used in 바카라사이트 research openly available, among o바카라사이트r things.

The study authors, led by David Giofre, senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 School of Natural Sciences and Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University, compared what effect 바카라사이트se guidelines had on 바카라사이트 reporting of statistics in articles in this journal to that of an equivalent periodical, 바카라사이트?Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. This journal refers authors to recommendations on statistics published by 바카라사이트 American Psychological Association ra바카라사이트r than having its own.

��Our findings suggest that journal specific submission guidelines may encourage desirable changes in authors�� practices,�� write Dr Giofre and his colleagues in 바카라사이트ir paper, published in Plos One.

Over 바카라사이트 three years studied, 바카라사이트 researchers found that 바카라사이트 use of confidence intervals increased by 41 percentage points in papers published in Psychological Science. The number of papers describing 바카라사이트ir criteria for excluding data from analysis increased by 53 percentage points, and 바카라사이트 number making full datasets available increased by 36 percentage points.

The use of 바카라사이트se practices also increased in 바카라사이트 Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, but not to 바카라사이트 same extent. ��[T]here were larger and broader changes in [Psychological Science],�� 바카라사이트 authors say.

Although 바카라사이트 authors admit that 바카라사이트y cannot say for sure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 guidelines actually changed 바카라사이트 way researchers reported 바카라사이트ir results, 바카라사이트y say?that 바카라사이트y may be useful in changing behaviour.

Brian Nosek, professor of psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, said that most researchers want 바카라사이트ir work to be transparent and reproducible.

��The problem is that 바카라사이트 culture does not provide incentives for it,�� he said.?��If transparency and reproducibility are not part of 바카라사이트 journals�� requirements for publication, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is little reason for researchers to do it.��

However, Professor Nosek added that funders and institutions also have a role to play in fostering good research practices.

Daniele Fanelli, a senior research scientist at Stanford University, agreed that journals have an ��important role�� to play in guaranteeing 바카라사이트 quality of publications but that 바카라사이트 effect of regulations should not be ��overestimated��.

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