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Mashup Score: 2Poor hypotheses and research waste in biology: learning from a theory crisis in psychology - 6 month(s) ago
While psychologists have extensively discussed a ‘theory crisis’, there has been no debate about such a crisis in biology. However, biologists, especially those working in the fields of ecology and evolution, have long discussed communication failures between theoreticians and empiricists. We argue such failure is one aspect of a theory crisis because misapplied and misunderstood theories lead to poor hypotheses and research waste. We review solutions for a theory crisis, comparing them with methodology-focused solutions proposed for a replication crisis. One neglected solution deserving further attention concerns the systematic mapping of theoretical models. We conclude by discussing how promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in theoretical biology could contribute to ameliorating breakdowns in the theory-empirical cycle in biology.
Source: ecoevorxiv.orgCategories: General Medicine News, Hem/OncsTweet
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Mashup Score: 0Same data, different analysts: variation in effect sizes due to analytical decisions in ecology and evolutionary biology - 1 year(s) ago
Although variation in effect sizes and predicted values among studies of similar phenomena is inevitable, such variation far exceeds what might be produced by sampling error alone. One possible explanation for variation among results is differences among researchers in the decisions they make regarding statistical analyses. A growing array of studies has explored this analytical variability in different (mostly social science) fields, and has found substantial variability among results, despite analysts having the same data and research question. We implemented an analogous study in ecology and evolutionary biology, fields in which there have been no empirical exploration of the variation in effect sizes or model predictions generated by the analytical decisions of different researchers. We used two unpublished datasets, one from evolutionary ecology (blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus, to compare sibling number and nestling growth) and one from conservation ecology (Eucalyptus, to compare
Source: ecoevorxiv.orgCategories: Hem/Oncs, Latest HeadlinesTweet
Poor hypotheses and research waste in biology: learning from a theory crisis in psychology https://t.co/86ZnYPBLx7 via @itchyshin et al https://t.co/wI91UUEtik