Heesen, Remco (2025) Expediting the Flow of Knowledge Versus Rushing into Print. [Preprint]

Text Heesen 2025 Expediting the Flow of Knowledge Versus Rushing into Print.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB)

Abstract

Recent empirical work has shown that many scientific results may not be reproducible. By itself, this does not entail that there is a problem (or a "reproducibility crisis"). However, I argue that there is a problem: the reward structure of science incentivizes scientists to focus on speed and impact at the expense of the reproducibility of their work. I illustrate this using a well-known failure of reproducibility: Fleischmann and Pons' work on cold fusion. I then use a rational choice model to identify a set of sufficient conditions for this problem to arise, and I argue that these conditions plausibly apply to a wide range of research situations. In the conclusion I consider possible solutions and implications for how Fleischmann and Pons' work should be evaluated.

---

Export/Citation:

EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Heesen, Remco r.heesen@lse.ac.uk 0000-0003-3823-944X
Additional Information:	For proofs of the theorems mentioned in my book, please refer to appendices A and B. For proofs of the theorems mentioned in "Why the Reward Structure of Science Makes Reproducibility Problems Inevitable", please refer to appendix A.
Keywords:	Philosophy of science; Reproducibility; Social epistemology; Formal epistemology; Pressure to publish; Cold fusion
Subjects:	General Issues > Confirmation/Induction General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Science and Policy General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science
Depositing User:	Remco Heesen
Date Deposited:	12 Sep 2025 10:42
Last Modified:	12 Sep 2025 10:42
Item ID:	26620
Subjects:	General Issues > Confirmation/Induction General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Science and Policy General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science
Date:	11 September 2025
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26620

Available Versions of this Item

• Expediting the Flow of Knowledge Versus Rushing into Print. (deposited 16 Oct 2018 18:32)
  • Expediting the Flow of Knowledge Versus Rushing into Print. (deposited 12 Sep 2025 10:42) [Currently Displayed]

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item