Simon
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Great blog on why honesty is needed in science, even though it can be hard to take criticism. It's specifically about neuroscience (which includes all those MRI and fMRI mecfs brain studies) but the principles apply far more widely.
NeuroChambers: It's nice to be nice but it's more important to be honest
NeuroChambers: It's nice to be nice but it's more important to be honest
I've probably quoted too much, and please do read the full blog....Our field is peppered with small studies pumped out by petty fiefdoms, each vying for a coveted spot in high impact journals so we can have careers and get tenure and maybe make a few discoveries along the way. It would be disingenous to say that I'm any different. I've got my own fiefdom, just like the rest. It's no less petty; I am no better than anyone else.
...When I look at fMRI studies like the one this morning, I see how far we need to come as a field.
...Some folks get upset at the direct nature of post publication peer review... they might think such criticism is an attack on the integrity of the researchers -- that robust post-publication-peer-review, pointing out probable bias or low reproducibility, is tantamount to an accusation of misconduct.
This is false because questionable practices aren't the same as fraud and bias isn't the same as misconduct. Much, if not most, research bias happens unconsciously. It can and does distort our results despite our best efforts because we're humans rather than robots. I believe many in our community are not only blind to unconscious bias, they're blind to the possibility of unconscious bias.