Hyper-ambition and the Replication Crisis: Why Measures to Promote Research Integrity can Falter

Area of Science:

• Academic research
• Scientific integrity
• Meta-science

Background:

• The replication crisis in science involves questionable research practices (QRPs) like fraud and sloppy reporting.
• Existing integrity initiatives struggle in hyper-competitive academic environments that foster high ambition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the concept of 'hyper-ambition' as a driver of QRPs.
• To analyze why current integrity promotion efforts are insufficient.
• To propose solutions for the replication crisis.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of academic culture and researcher motivations.
• A thought experiment involving two hypothetical academics' work situations.

Main Results:

• Hyper-ambition can inadvertently prioritize individual success over scientific quality.
• Integrity promotion efforts are often circumvented by researchers with diverse motivations.
• Current approaches fail to account for the spectrum of academic values.

Conclusions:

• Tackling QRPs requires robust, top-down measures that acknowledge and accommodate varied academic values and motivations.
• Challenging hyper-ambition is crucial for enhancing research integrity and mitigating the replication crisis.