Academic Journal
Poor hypotheses and research waste in biology: learning from a theory crisis in psychology
| Title: | Poor hypotheses and research waste in biology: learning from a theory crisis in psychology |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Shinichi Nakagawa, David W. Armitage, Tom Froese, Yefeng Yang, Malgorzata Lagisz |
| Source: | BMC Biology, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2025) |
| Publisher Information: | BMC, 2025. |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Collection: | LCC:Biology (General) |
| Subject Terms: | Questionable research practice, Replication crisis, Credibility revolution, Team science, SORTEE, Biology (General), QH301-705.5 |
| More Details: | Abstract While psychologists have extensively discussed the notion of a “theory crisis” arising from vague and incorrect hypotheses, there has been no debate about such a crisis in biology. However, biologists have long discussed communication failures between theoreticians and empiricists. We argue such failure is one aspect of a theory crisis because misapplied and misunderstood theories lead to poor hypotheses and research waste. We review its solutions and compare them with methodology-focused solutions proposed for replication crises. We conclude by discussing how promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in theoretical biology could contribute to ameliorating breakdowns in the theory-empirical cycle. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 1741-7007 |
| Relation: | https://doaj.org/toc/1741-7007 |
| DOI: | 10.1186/s12915-025-02134-w |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/d6ca6a4d5e604d6d96208b38adc94f8c |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.6ca6a4d5e604d6d96208b38adc94f8c |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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