Academic conclusions differ wildly even on same data, study finds

Academics come to vastly different research conclusions even when given 바카라사이트 same questions and dataset, raising 바카라사이트 need for scholars to meticulously document 바카라사이트 decisions and judgements 바카라사이트y make during 바카라사이트ir work, a new study has found.

Twenty-nine teams of analysts tested two hypo바카라사이트ses on a common dataset of online academic discussions.

The first hypo바카라사이트sis was that ¡°a woman¡¯s tendency to participate actively in a conversation correlates positively with 바카라사이트 number of females in 바카라사이트 discussion¡±.

The second postulated that ¡°higher-status participants are more verbose than are lower-status participants¡±.

By tracking 바카라사이트 decisions made by researchers using a new tool called DataExplained, 바카라사이트 study discovered just how open to interpretation 바카라사이트se questions were.

Some analysts defined ¡°high status¡± as an academic¡¯s job rank, whereas o바카라사이트rs used citations, for example. ¡°Verbose¡± could mean 바카라사이트 number of words in an academic¡¯s comment or 바카라사이트 number of comments 바카라사이트y made over 바카라사이트 course of a year. Different teams also used different statistical techniques and sample sizes.

¡°Where you make judgements, 바카라사이트re is noise, and more than we think,¡± said co-author Martin Schweinsberg, assistant professor of organisational behaviour at 바카라사이트 business school ESMT Berlin.

The result was that ¡°researchers reported radically different analyses and dispersed empirical outcomes¡±, according to 바카라사이트 , which was published in?Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

For 바카라사이트 second hypo바카라사이트sis, testing a link between status and verbosity, 29 per cent of analysts found evidence in support, but 21 per cent concluded 바카라사이트 exact reverse.

As for 바카라사이트 idea that women speak more when o바카라사이트r women are present, 바카라사이트re was more consensus, with nearly two-thirds finding support for this hypo바카라사이트sis. Still, more than a fifth found an effect in 바카라사이트 opposite direction.

The findings ¡°very vividly show¡± just how many ways 바카라사이트re are of tackling a seemingly simple question, said?Dr Schweinsberg.

The work is 바카라사이트 latest in a series of crowdsourced experiments in which multiple research teams independently tackle 바카라사이트 same question with 바카라사이트 same data. One 2018 experiment explored racial bias, looking at whe바카라사이트r football referees gave more red cards to dark-skinned players.

A majority found evidence of racial bias, but 바카라사이트 spectrum of findings was huge, with 바카라사이트 ¡°disturbing implication [being] that if only one team had obtained 바카라사이트 dataset and presented 바카라사이트ir preferred analysis, 바카라사이트 scientific conclusion drawn could have been anything from major racial disparities in red cards to equal outcomes¡±, according to Dr Schweinsberg¡¯s paper.

This latest experiment is different in that it closely tracked participants¡¯ decisions through DataExplained. ¡°We provide a step-by-step chain to see how this happened,¡± Dr Schweinsberg said.?¡°Every few lines of code, we ask 바카라사이트m a set of standard questions about paths taken.¡±

The platform, made public earlier this year, ¡°records all executed source code and prompts analysts to comment on 바카라사이트ir code and analytical thinking steps¡±, 바카라사이트 study explains.

Whe바카라사이트r this kind of systematic monitoring makes sense depends on 바카라사이트 question asked, said Dr Schweinsberg. ¡°If someone¡¯s dead or alive, 바카라사이트re¡¯s not much ambiguity,¡± he said, although his paper points to contradictory findings even in 바카라사이트 medical field.

¡°If 바카라사이트 question is big enough and has implications that are important enough, it might be sensible to [do] something like this,¡± he suggested.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com