Egotistical researchers fueling a credibility crisis in science

By Around the Web

 

(Image by fernando zhiminaicela from Pixabay)

(STUDY FINDS) — It turns out that the average researcher thinks they are more ethical than their colleagues when it comes to following appropriate research practices, according to a new study. They also think that their own field of study is better than others. As a result, study authors in Sweden say many researchers are failing to recognize their own weaknesses.

“The starting point for the project is that there’s a bit of a crisis in the research world. Research misconduct or difficulties to replicate research results have been discovered in many studies. Credibility has been called into question,” says Gustav Tinghög, a professor in economics in the Department of Management and Engineering at Linköping University, in a media release.

In collaboration with postdoc Lina Koppel and doctoral student Amanda Lindkvist, Tinghög sent a questionnaire to over 33,000 Swedish researchers using questions based on the Swedish Research Council’s rules for what defines good research practice. For instance, researchers should always be honest about their research, openly presenting the methods and results of their work.

Leave a Comment