Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Science is a systematic method for accumulating knowledge with the reproducibility of a scientific finding as the highest standard of evaluating scientific evidence. Scientists do not work in isolation
but build upon the research of others to incrementally advance human knowledge. However, attempts to reproduce published
scientific findings are failing at high rates across many scientific disciplines. Individual scientists now must face two questions: (1) are my findings reproducible?; and (2) do I really know what I thought I knew based on the published findings in my field? The scientific community has to face two larger questions: (1) what is going on?; (2) how do we fix it? Selective reporting, publication bias, low statistical power, poor documentation, loss of research materials, and infrequent sharing allcontribute to the irreproducibility of scientific findings. However, perceived norms within the scientific community, career incentives to publish more papers and novel findings, inadequate methodological training, and minimal accountability need to also be addressed if we want science to efficiently and reliably advance knowledge. Changing the behavior of scientific researchers to align with the scientific values they hold must involve a combination of new technology to enable change, better training to enact change, and new incentives to embrace change.
April Clyburne-Sherin is an epidemiologist, methodologist, and is the Reproducible Research Evangelist at the Center for Open Science. The co-founder of the research network OOO Canada and an educator on reproducible research methodology, she advocates for transparent, reproducible, and rigorous scientific research methods. A recent immigrant from Canada, she now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.
Science is a systematic method for accumulating knowledge with the reproducibility of a scientific finding as the highest standard of evaluating scientific evidence. Scientists do not work in isolation
but build upon the research of others to incrementally advance human knowledge. However, attempts to reproduce published
scientific findings are failing at high rates across many scientific disciplines. Individual scientists now must face two questions: (1) are my findings reproducible?; and (2) do I really know what I thought I knew based on the published findings in my field? The scientific community has to face two larger questions: (1) what is going on?; (2) how do we fix it? Selective reporting, publication bias, low statistical power, poor documentation, loss of research materials, and infrequent sharing allcontribute to the irreproducibility of scientific findings. However, perceived norms within the scientific community, career incentives to publish more papers and novel findings, inadequate methodological training, and minimal accountability need to also be addressed if we want science to efficiently and reliably advance knowledge. Changing the behavior of scientific researchers to align with the scientific values they hold must involve a combination of new technology to enable change, better training to enact change, and new incentives to embrace change.
April Clyburne-Sherin is an epidemiologist, methodologist, and is the Reproducible Research Evangelist at the Center for Open Science. The co-founder of the research network OOO Canada and an educator on reproducible research methodology, she advocates for transparent, reproducible, and rigorous scientific research methods. A recent immigrant from Canada, she now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Views expressed in this video are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Capital Area Skeptics.
