This sounds interesting and potentially relevant for the ME/CFS field.
John Ioannidis is an interesting and influential researcher. Among other things, he wrote:
* I gave each sentence its own paragraph
John Ioannidis is an interesting and influential researcher. Among other things, he wrote:
Ioannidis JP. Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Med. 2005 Aug;2(8):e124. Epub 2005 Aug 30
http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(12)00263-2/abstract
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Article in Press
Scientific inbreeding and same-team replication: Type D personality as an
example
John P.A. Ioannidis
Received 11 September 2012; received in revised form 13 September 2012;
accepted 19 September 2012. published online 08 October 2012.
Abstract*
Replication is essential for validating correct results, sorting out false-positive early discoveries, and improving the accuracy and precision of estimated effects.
However, some types of seemingly successful replication may foster a spurious notion of increased credibility, if they are performed by the same team and propagate or extend the same errors made by the original discoveries.
Besides same-team replication, replication by other teams may also succumb to inbreeding, if it cannot fiercely maintain its independence.
These patterns include obedient replication and obliged replication.
I discuss these replication patterns in the context of associations and effects in the psychological sciences, drawing from the criticism of Coyne and de Voogd of the proposed association between type D personality and cardiovascular mortality and other empirical examples.
Keywords: Replication, Bias, Confirmation bias, Allegiance bias
* I gave each sentence its own paragraph