Heesen, Remco (2018) Expediting the Flow of Knowledge Versus Rushing into Print. [Preprint]
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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.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Additional Information: | 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 |
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| Depositing User: | Remco Heesen | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 16 Oct 2018 18:32 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2023 14:07 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 15161 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Confirmation/Induction General Issues > Decision Theory General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Science and Policy |
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| Date: | 15 October 2018 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15161 |
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