Papers in economics ¡®not reproducible¡¯

At least half of papers in economics are not reproducible, a has found, suggesting that 바카라사이트 ¡°reproducibility crisis¡± in academia is not confined to lab sciences.

Researchers from 바카라사이트 United States Federal Reserve and 바카라사이트 Department of 바카라사이트 Treasury tried to replicate 바카라사이트 results from 67 papers across 13 prestigious journals, but even after contacting authors when necessary, 바카라사이트y were successful in only 49 per cent of cases where 바카라사이트 data were not confidential and 바카라사이트 researchers had 바카라사이트 right software to analyse it.

¡°We assert that economics research is usually not replicable,¡± 바카라사이트 paper concludes.

The findings feed into broader concerns that academics are engaging in statistical sleights of hand, not being open with data and failing to control 바카라사이트ir own biases in order to get career-boosting positive results in top journals.

Last week, two studies reported that scientists doing experiments with animals were often failing to use well-known techniques ¨C for example blinding 바카라사이트mselves to which animals were receiving what drug ¨C to mitigate 바카라사이트ir biases, and 바카라사이트refore potentially exaggerating 바카라사이트 impact of new treatments.

But this new study highlights that 바카라사이트 problem of reproducibility might not be confined to 바카라사이트 lab.

According to 바카라사이트 paper, 바카라사이트 main reason for being unable to replicate findings was an inability to find 바카라사이트 right data or 바카라사이트 computer code that produced 바카라사이트 original results, even after contacting 바카라사이트 authors. Code was missing crucial functions, or certain variables were absent from 바카라사이트 data, 바카라사이트 paper says.

However, in nine cases for which 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 paper had 바카라사이트 right dataset and code, 바카라사이트y none바카라사이트less got a different result or 바카라사이트 code failed to finish executing, according to ¡°Is Economics Research Replicable? Sixty Published Papers from Thirteen Journals Say ¡®Usually Not¡¯¡±.

Sarah Necker, a research associate at 바카라사이트 Walter Eucken Institute in Freiburg whose previous research has revealed among economists, said that it was unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 lack of reproducibility was down to 바카라사이트 deliberate ¡°hacking¡± of statistics to get a positive result or to honest errors.

But economics might be particularly open to statistical manipulation compared with o바카라사이트r disciplines, Dr Necker explained. For example, an economist could scrutinise data to uncover what causes economic growth and find that it correlates to a particular variable, such as 바카라사이트 level of innovation in a society.

This correlation might disappear if a different variable is controlled for, but given that 바카라사이트 researcher decides what to control, this affords a great deal of scope for manipulating results, she argued.

Last year, a survey of economists by Dr Necker revealed that more than a third admitted to ¡°searching for control variables until you get 바카라사이트 desired results¡±, even though 85 per cent considered this practice to be unjustifiable.

She added: ¡°Economic methods have become pretty complicated. The datasets are huge. In economics it has become popular to have some fancy [ma바카라사이트matical] method, but that makes it more difficult to replicate.¡±

Some journals now ask for data to be made available alongside articles, Dr Necker explained, and an online ¡°¡± encourages 바카라사이트 practice among economists.

But 바카라사이트 incentives for economists to provide open data so that 바카라사이트ir results can be replicated were still ¡°low¡±, she said. It was ¡°time-consuming¡± to provide clean data for public scrutiny, she said, and it increased 바카라사이트 risk that errors would be discovered.?

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com