Mapping the discursive dimensions of the reproducibility crisis: A mixed methods analysis

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 9;16(7):e0254090. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254090. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

To those involved in discussions about rigor, reproducibility, and replication in science, conversation about the "reproducibility crisis" appear ill-structured. Seemingly very different issues concerning the purity of reagents, accessibility of computational code, or misaligned incentives in academic research writ large are all collected up under this label. Prior work has attempted to address this problem by creating analytical definitions of reproducibility. We take a novel empirical, mixed methods approach to understanding variation in reproducibility discussions, using a combination of grounded theory and correspondence analysis to examine how a variety of authors narrate the story of the reproducibility crisis. Contrary to expectations, this analysis demonstrates that there is a clear thematic core to reproducibility discussions, centered on the incentive structure of science, the transparency of methods and data, and the need to reform academic publishing. However, we also identify three clusters of discussion that are distinct from the main body of articles: one focused on reagents, another on statistical methods, and a final cluster focused on the heterogeneity of the natural world. Although there are discursive differences between scientific and popular articles, we find no strong differences in how scientists and journalists write about the reproducibility crisis. Our findings demonstrate the value of using qualitative methods to identify the bounds and features of reproducibility discourse, and identify distinct vocabularies and constituencies that reformers should engage with to promote change.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Authorship
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Humans
  • Publications
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Research / standards*

Grants and funding

NCN received financial support for the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study in the form of a Residential Fellowship (no grant/award number, https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/fellowship-program), and KI and JC received financial support through the Radcliffe Research Partnership Program at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (no grant/award number, https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/fellowship-program/radcliffe-research-partnership). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.