The crisis from above: Gatekeepers need better standards

Area of Science:

• Psychological Science
• Research Integrity

Background:

• The validity of psychological science is currently facing a generalizability crisis.
• Individual researchers' efforts alone are insufficient to address this crisis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical role of gatekeepers (editors, journals, publishers) in the psychological science community.
• To emphasize the need for these gatekeepers to elevate standards for evidence supporting scientific claims.

Main Methods:

• This study is a conceptual analysis and critique of the current publication and incentive structures within psychological science.
• It examines the influence of editorial and publishing practices on research quality and generalizability.

Main Results:

• Editors, journals, and publishers significantly influence research incentives and contribute to the generalizability crisis.
• These gatekeepers possess the power to either perpetuate or mitigate the crisis through their editorial decisions.

Conclusions:

• Sustainable improvements in psychological science validity necessitate a change in the practices of editors, journals, and publishers.
• Unless these gatekeepers raise their standards, reforms by individual scientists will not yield lasting positive outcomes.