11 November 2013 14 10K Report

Some studies suggest that a surprisingly high percentage of work in the biological sciences is not reproducible (see Nature article series at http://www.nature.com/nature/focus/reproducibility/ for more background).

Here are some explanations for failure to replicate the findings of a published study:

1. Inaccurate or incomplete methods reported in original study

2. Inappropriate statistics (see this essay: http://goo.gl/OLqCyU for background)

3. Inability to precisely reproduce experimental conditions due to natural variation or logistical reasons (e.g., for a field experiment)

One suggested solution, which addresses the first reason, is to use video to show precisely how an experiment or procedure was carried out (see this essay: http://goo.gl/Z5BFCw).

What do you think? What are your observations with respect to reproducibility in your specific field and to what do you attribute it?

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