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Reliable novelty: New should not trump true
1Universität Regensburg, Institut für Zoologie, Neurogenetik, Regensburg, Germany.
Plos Biology
|February 13, 2019
Summary
Rewarding novel science risks undermining scientific reliability, as prestigious journals often publish unreliable findings. A proposed scholarly information infrastructure could enhance reliability and save costs, supporting research data and code.
Area of Science:
- Scientific publishing
- Research integrity
- Scholarly communication
Background:
- Current scientific reward systems often prioritize novelty over reliability.
- Evidence suggests prestigious journals are not superior in detecting unreliable science.
- There is a negative correlation between journal prestige and scientific reliability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the current emphasis on novelty in scientific publishing.
- To propose an alternative information infrastructure for science.
- To advocate for a renewed focus on scientific reliability.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing evidence on journal prestige and scientific reliability.
- Conceptualization of a modern, scholar-governed information infrastructure.
- Economic analysis of potential cost savings from a new infrastructure.
Main Results:
- Prestigious journals do not demonstrate superior detection of unreliable science.
- Some studies indicate a negative correlation between journal prestige and reliability.
- A new infrastructure could yield significant cost savings.
Conclusions:
- The current reward system, favoring novelty, may compromise scientific credibility.
- Replacing legacy journals with a modern infrastructure can enhance reliability.
- Reinvesting cost savings into research data and code infrastructure would further support reliability.
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