Especially if you teach research methods, you may be aware of the keen interest that has developed during the last year or two concerning the problem of replicating published studies. Some writers speak of a "crisis of replicability", and many articles are appearing which discuss this issue.
Briefly, when people try to replicated studies from the mainstream literature, it appears that they fail in most cases. The important PsychFileDrawer website provides a convenient way for psychologists to post a public record of their successes and failures in conducting replication studies. Currently, this website list 12 successful, and 22 unsuccessful attempts to repeat well-known studies from the major peer-reviewed journals, so to date the likelihood of repeating a published study successfully is only 35%! http://www.psychfiledrawer.org/ This message is to recommend replication attempts as useful class exercises in teaching research methods. A small team of students can choose a suitable study from the list maintained at the above website (or of course they could choose their own target article). They then study the paper, discuss it with the instructor, and then attempt to repeat the study as exactly as possible, testing at least as many subjects as in the target article. They can then post their results on the PsychFileDrawer website, to add to this database. They benefit pedagogically, and psychological science is advanced. This approach works well, in our experience. In comparison with the traditional self-chosen term project, we have found that this type of project is much easier on the student and the instructor, is more manageable, and leads to better final reports in a one-semester advanced research methods course. (An individual project was offered as an alternative, but not one student choose it). Incidentally, these students will subsequently conduct a two-semester dissertation study which involves original work. Leo Leo Standing, BSc, MA, PhD, FAPS Professor, Dept of Psychology Bishop's University, Nicolls 205 2600 rue Collège Sherbrooke, QC Canada J1M 1Z7 OFFICE HOURS 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. daily Office phone 819-822-9600 ext.2456 Home phone: 819-346-1897 Home email: [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=26142 or send a blank email to leave-26142-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
