The reproducibility crisis in science: Key takeaways from the Lund Biomedicine ReproducibiliTea Journal Club

During the latest gathering of the Lund Biomedicine ReproducibiliTea Journal Club, Daniela Grassi, PhD, led a spirited discussion of the reproducibility crisis in science over poke bowls and pasta salads. Based on “A manifesto for reproducible science” by Munafò et al. (2017) (1), Dr. Grassi introduced several threats to research integrity, including cognitive bias, overly loose analytical flexibility, and inadequate reporting.

The manifesto presented various methods and initiatives for incorporation into one’s research to address these deficiencies. For example, to prevent cognitive biases, blinding and randomization are strongly recommended at multiple stages of research, from allocation of subjects to analysis of the data. Another initiative—pre-registration of studies—is being promoted to avoid analytical flexibility, such as P-hacking, and publication bias.

Attendees discussed the problematic trends that are impeding good research practices, including the “publish or perish” philosophy that drives science today. After exchanging anecdotes about failed experiments and famed physicists Richard Feynman and Albert Einstein, the group looked ahead and debated over what it will take for research integrity to improve and for the course of irreproducible science to reverse.

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Our upcoming journal club meetings will continue exploring critical research questions. If you are a researcher, student, or science enthusiast, join us to engage in meaningful dialogue about improving scientific methods and research integrity.

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References

1. Munafò, M., Nosek, B., Bishop, D. et al. (2017) Manifesto for reproducible science. Nat Hum Behav 1, 0021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-016-0021

   
   
   
   

Speaker and guest author

Daniela Grassi, PhD, has a background in neuroscience and a long-standing passion for metascience and improving research practices.

Editor

Sean Kim, PhD, is a medical writer at AdvanSci Research Solutions. He has been a medical writer since 2006, writing extensively on therapeutics for a wide range of areas.