A revised and expanded taxonomy for understanding heterogeneity in research and reporting practices

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Research Methodology
• Scientific Communication

Background:

• Replication failures are often linked to excessive heterogeneity in research findings.
• Researcher flexibility in study design and data analysis contributes to this heterogeneity.
• Existing terminology like 'researcher degrees of freedom' and 'questionable research practices' is inconsistently applied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the inconsistent and overlapping use of terminology surrounding researcher choices in studies.
• To propose a refined taxonomy for assessing research and reporting practices.
• To enhance conceptual clarity regarding researcher behaviors and their impact on scientific conclusions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a revised and expanded taxonomy for evaluating research and reporting practices.
• Redefined key terms to reduce overlap and improve conceptual clarity.
• Used conceptual and simulated demonstrations to illustrate the taxonomy's effectiveness.

Main Results:

• The proposed taxonomy and redefined terms differentiate practices along two key dimensions: research vs. reporting, and choices among multiple valid options vs. subpar choices.
• Demonstrations confirmed the enhanced clarity and utility of the revised framework.
• The framework aids in navigating research flexibility and identifying areas for methodological research.

Conclusions:

• Refined language and a structured taxonomy can significantly improve clarity in scientific discourse.
• This work provides a valuable tool for both substantive researchers and methodologists.
• Clearer conceptualization of researcher practices is crucial for advancing scientific understanding and reproducibility.