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Novelty vs. Replicability: Virtues and Vices in the Reward System of Science

Romero, Felipe (2017) Novelty vs. Replicability: Virtues and Vices in the Reward System of Science. [Preprint]

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Abstract

The reward system of science is the priority rule (Merton, 1957). The first scientist making a new discovery is rewarded with prestige while second runners get little or nothing. Strevens (2003, 2011), following Kitcher (1990), defends this reward system arguing that it incentivizes an efficient division of cognitive labor. I argue that this assessment depends on strong implicit assumptions about the replicability of findings. I question these assumptions based on meta-scientific evidence and argue that the priority rule systematically discourages replication. My analysis leads us to qualify Kitcher and Strevens’ contention that a priority-based reward system is normatively desirable for science.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Romero, Felipef.romero@uvt.nl
Additional Information: Forthcoming in Philosophy of Science
Keywords: Replication, Replicability, Social structure of science, Social epistemology, Scientific self-correction, Frequentist statistics, Priority Rule, ESP
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
General Issues > Experimentation
Specific Sciences > Psychology
General Issues > Science and Policy
Depositing User: Dr. Felipe Romero
Date Deposited: 04 Apr 2017 14:09
Last Modified: 04 Apr 2017 14:09
Item ID: 12959
Journal or Publication Title: Philosophy of Science
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science
General Issues > Confirmation/Induction
General Issues > Experimentation
Specific Sciences > Psychology
General Issues > Science and Policy
Date: 2017
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12959

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