Reporting Negative Findings in Preclinical Research
In earlier ethnobotanical studies, preclinical pharmacological research is built.
These studies are accessible online, and it is expected that the principal investigator will analyze them carefully and base the study hypothesis on them.
The results of an experiment will typically be favorable if a researcher uses a detailed and well-organized ethnobotanical study.
The chemical under study will therefore exhibit pharmacological therapeutic action in animal models.
Experimental research, however, is susceptible to unidentified confounding factors that are not taken into account; as a result, the results provided may also be unfavorable.
Unfortunately, students find it difficult to include unfavorable results in their graduation papers because they are afraid of being rejected; therefore they often influence it covertly.
How can we handle issues of this nature?
#research #students
Very true. In this regard the onus is very much on the research guide and the course structure of the institute to include research methodology and ethics as a part of the syllabus. Promoting a culture that values hard work, dedication and learning attitude should be a greater priority than only publications. There is also a need for reform in the way we measure research productivity.
However, to answer your question more practically we can ensure the following:
-At the start of every project the research scholar should do an in depth literature search to back up and justify the soundness of the concept
-The research scholar should make a presentation of the methodology to members of the department to get various perspectives and identify any potential problems
-If the results are still negative despite due diligence, the work can still be published and explanation with suitable references on what could be the possible reasons for the unexpected findings....eg. "Contary to earlier reports indicating.........(ref)....in our study we observed...........This could be due to..........." These could range from mortality of the animals to huge biological variation within the group resulting in failure in statistical tests etc.
Young researchers need the support that they are not alone and their worth is not measured only by positive results! All the Best for your work.
There are a number of journals specifically for the publication of negative results.
You could also publish it as a preprint on a site like medRxiv, which would save you the process of having your negative results going through peer review and taking on any associated costs of publication.
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