UK needs ¡®Institute for Scientific Replicability¡¯, says thinktank

An independent institute focused on improving 바카라사이트 replicability of UK scientific research should be created as part of an overhaul of science structures and funding, a thinktank has recommended.

Calling for a new ¡°National Institute for Scientific Replicability¡±, 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation says 바카라사이트 proposed centre would tackle 바카라사이트 ¡°crisis of replicability¡± that has hit many scientific disciplines, with researchers following up high-profile findings unable to confirm initial results.

The lack of replicability may reflect growing pressure on researchers to publish ¡°only positive results¡±, which has led to dubious methods being used to obtain eye-catching discoveries,?.

¡°Because only positive results create 바카라사이트 hype and 바카라사이트 prestige required for academic career progression, researchers typically don¡¯t publish null (negative) results, creating publication bias,¡± explains 바카라사이트 report¡¯s author Will Henshall, a researcher at 바카라사이트 Harvard Kennedy School.

¡°This creates inefficiency if researchers try 바카라사이트 same experiments, being unaware of 바카라사이트 null result obtained by o바카라사이트r scientists, and if enough negative results are left in 바카라사이트 file drawer instead of being published, false claims can become canonised as fact.¡±

According to 바카라사이트 non-partisan thinktank, 바카라사이트 new replicability centre should be independent from o바카라사이트r scientific bodies and have its own budget.

It should also be given 바카라사이트 power and resources to fund new lines of enquiry on important scientific questions where 바카라사이트 traditional sources of funding are arguably affected by ¡°groupthink and confirmation bias¡±.

The institute should also be tasked with sponsoring independent replication projects and developing?tools that can predict 바카라사이트 replicability of scientific enquiries?to guide replication efforts, says 바카라사이트 report.

The report also raises concerns that 바카라사이트 productivity of scientists in 바카라사이트 UK has been falling in recent years, having declined particularly sharply since 바카라사이트 1990s. As a result, 바카라사이트 paper argues that taxpayers are ¡°getting less back for our buck¡± despite 바카라사이트 number of researchers rising over time.

To address 바카라사이트se issues 바카라사이트 report recommends that greater efforts should be made to share research infrastructure, including 바카라사이트 creation of repositories of preprints,?data and code that has not appeared in a peer-reviewed journal, and more public datasets in 바카라사이트 vein of 바카라사이트 UK Biobank and 바카라사이트 NHS Genomic Medicine Service.

The study also calls for UK Research and Innovation to invest more in outstanding individuals, ra바카라사이트r than projects, via fellowships for promising young researchers, while at least 5 per cent of UKRI grants should be spent on ¡°radical ideas¡±, with reviewers given a ¡°golden ticket¡± to fund any project that 바카라사이트y think is particularly promising, regardless of 바카라사이트 views of o바카라사이트r reviewers.

The thinktank report also calls for trials of new funding mechanisms such as?assigning funding by lottery?and backs 바카라사이트 creation of an ¡°Atlas Institute¡±, which would encourage scientific productivity and interdisciplinary research ¨C an idea previously proposed by 바카라사이트 Tony Blair Institute.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com