Why Most Published Research Findings Are False
All sorts of well-established, multiply confirmed findings have started to look increasingly uncertain. It’s as if our facts were losing their truth: claims that have been enshrined in textbooks are suddenly unprovable. This phenomenon doesn’t yet have an official name, but it’s occurring across a wide range of fields, from psychology to ecology. In the field of medicine, the phenomenon seems extremely widespread, affecting not only antipsychotics but also therapies ranging from cardiac stents to Vitamin E and antidepressants.
From Jonah Lehrer in The New Yorker. Entire article is a good read.
Interesting article. I saw it when it first come out.
One thing everone needs to know. Most of what gets published in medical journals would never be accepted for publication in an economics journal. There is a lot of bad research because most medical journals don’t know very much about the science of statistical inference.
All kinds of biases are identified in this article. It’s a good read.
Although publication bias (the tendency of science journals to publish confirmatory findings) is discussed, not mentioned is the inherent “argument from authority” that leads the general population and decision-makers to accept (and act upon) the results of some fleeting experimental result. Perhaps if the public knew more about the scientific process, they would be less likely to be taken in.
Stephen is right. The standards are too low.
I have been looking for something such as like this. I will keep the post in my mind..Thanks for the tips.