The Problem with Science: The Reproducibility Crisis and What to do About It

Recent events have vividly underscored the societal importance of science, yet the majority of the public are unaware that a large proportion of published scientific results are simply wrong. The Problem with Science is an exploration of the manifestations and causes of this scientific crisis, accompanied by a description of the very promising corrective initiatives largely developed over the past decade to stem the spate of irreproducible results that have come to characterize many of our sciences. More importantly, Dr. R. Barker Bausell has designed it to provide guidance to practicing and aspiring scientists regarding how (a) to change the way in which science has come to be both conducted and reported in order to avoid producing false positive, irreproducible results in their own work and (b) to change those institutional practices (primarily but not exclusively involving the traditional journal publishing process and the academic reward system) that have unwittingly contributed to the present crisis. There is a need for change in the scientific culture itself. A culture which prioritizes conducting research correctly in order to get things right rather than simply getting it published.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part I. BACKGROUND AND FACILITATORS OF THE CRISIS Chapter 1: Publication Bias Chapter 2: False Positive Results and a Nontechnical Overview of their Modeling Chapter 3: Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) and their Devastating Scientific Effects Chapter 4: A Few Case Studies of QRP Driven Irreproducibility Effects Chapter 5: The Return of Pathological Science (actually it never went away) Part II. APPROACHES FOR IDENTIFYING IRREPRODUCIBLE FINDINGS Chapter 6: The Replication Process Chapter 7: Multiple-Study Replication Initiatives Chapter 8: Damage Control for Learning that One's Study Failed to Replicate PART III: STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING THE REPRODUCIBILITY OF PUBLISHED SCIENTIFIC RESULTS Chapter 9: Publishing Issues and their Impact upon Reproducibility Chapter 10: Preregistration, Data Sharing, and Other Salutary Behaviors Chapter 11: A (Very) Few Concluding Thoughts

About the Author :
R. Barker Bausell is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where he served as a research methodologist and biostatistician on the faculties of both the schools of medicine and nursing for over 30 years. He has authored 14 scientifically related books, and founded and served for 33 years as the Editor-in-Chief of the refereed medical evaluation journal Evaluation & the Health Professions.

Review :
"We live in a time when fake news and untrustworthy information have invaded all walks of life; sadly this also includes the realm of science. This book is therefore both timely and useful. Barker Bausell has many years of research to his credit, and he evidently knows what he is writing about. In his new book, he explains why so many scientific publications are wrong or misleading and what damage irreproducible research can cause. He provides the reader with the tools to identify unreliable science and shows us ways to rectify the problem. His book is essential reading for anyone who wants to learn the important skills of systematic assessment and critical thinking. It is a must-read for aspiring scientists as well as for seasoned researchers or non-scientists who want to get a better understanding of the process of science, its strengths and its many weaknesses." -- Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Complementary Medicine, University of Exeter "Science is said to be self-correcting: Falsifiable hypotheses are generated, tested, and the results are disseminated. The accrued knowledge moves the field forward, but only if it is valid. The classical test for a study's validity is replication--the same methods should yield similar results. Disappointingly, replication occurs less than half the time. One reason is that, if results do not support the original hypothesis, it is all too easy to hypothesize after the results are known then report more 'publishable' results valued by academic journals. This and other systemic problems are comprehensively catalogued in this excellent book by Barker Bausell. Fortunately, these problems have solutions, such as the Registered Reports model of peer review, and these are also catalogued here. This excellent book illuminates a path by which science can self-correct on a meta level and realize its full potential." --Erick H. Turner, MD, Associate Professor, Oregon Health & Science University "Throughout [R. Barker Bausell's] career, a common goal has been to ensure the integrity of science and to weed out irreproducible findings. So, it is appropriate that he now turns his gaze--sharp and critical yet also humorous and compassionate--to the reproducibility crisis. His latest book The Problem with Science: The Reproducibility Crisis and What to do About It is a well-documented description of the etiology of the problem, the facilitators of irreproducibility, and the relatively straightforward individual and institutional behaviors that can be instituted to correct the problem. It is difficult to imagine anyone more qualified to bring the complex issues surrounding the irreproducibility crisis to a wider audience." -- Eric W. Manheimer, PhD, Co-Founder, Evidence Based Patient Decision Aids "This book, The Problem with Science: The Reproducibility Crisis and What to do About It, is particularly timely and critical for all of us who do research as well as for those who consume research. Coming out after the Coronavirus pandemic, the book is an important reminder that the development of new knowledge needs to be taken slowly sometimes and carefully considered. What we want to see and believe may not really be there. Dr. Bausell has decades of hands on experience as a biostatistician and has written numerous books on research design, statistics, and experimental design. Although relevant for all researchers and consumers of research, this book should certainly be required reading for all students engaging in research careers." -- Barbara Resnick, PhD, CRNP, Sonya Ziporkin Gershowitz Chair in Gerontology and Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing