{"id":82993,"date":"2018-01-18T12:00:41","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T11:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=82993"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:55","slug":"wetenschappers-moeten-vaker-elkaars-experimenten-herhalen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/01\/18\/wetenschappers-moeten-vaker-elkaars-experimenten-herhalen\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Academics should repeat each other\u2019s experiments more often\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new recommendation issued by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) calls on researchers to replicate other researchers\u2019 experiments more often, so as to combat sloppy and fraudulent science \u2013 even when they do not feel like doing so.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLevien Willemse<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Social psychologists were shocked when the fraud committed by Tilburg-based professor Diederik Stapel was revealed in 2011. For years he had been making up the results of all sorts of experiments. How had he been able to get away with it for so many years?<\/p>\n

In other fields of study, too, the results of scientific research are often the subject of debate, simply because some academics like to exaggerate their findings somewhat. After all, their articles will not receive much attention if their findings are unspectacular.<\/p>\n

Replicating studies<\/h2>

How can we tackle this kind of pseudo-science? John Mackenbach, a Professor of Public Health who also serves as the Chairman of the committee established by KNAW for this very purpose, feels there is only one solution. \u201cAcademics must repeat each other\u2019s experiments more often. This should be a normal course of action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mackenbach\u2019s committee presented its recommendation last Monday. The committee feels that non-reproducible research obstructs academic progress. If scientific errors are not detected, others may be negatively impacted. For instance, patients may end up receiving the wrong therapy.<\/p>\n

Mackenbach\u2019s recommendation was clear: replicate studies more often and earmark more money for doing so. Moreover, in order to make it easier for others to replicate studies, academics should provide much more detailed information on their research methods. \u201cNow that journals are all published online, there is plenty of room for such details.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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Rolf Zwaan investigates the reliability of social-psychological research via replication studies.<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t