Meta-Research Center at Tilburg University
{{Short description|Dutch metascience research center}}
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| city = Tilburg
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| country = Netherlands
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| website = {{URL|http://metaresearch.nl/}}
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The Meta-Research Center at Tilburg University is a metascience research center within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Dutch Tilburg University. They were profiled in a September 2018 article in Science.{{cite journal|last1=Stokstad|first1=Erik|title=The truth squad|journal=Science|volume=361|issue=6408|year=2018|pages=1189–1191|issn=0036-8075|doi=10.1126/science.361.6408.1189|pmid=30237339|bibcode=2018Sci...361.1189S }}
Research
File:FloreAndWicherts2015 meta analysis sex stereotype threat.png
Meta-research aims to improve reproducibility by studying how science is practiced and published and developing better ways for the scientific community to operate.
The research institute has published a large statistical meta-analysis of studies on the effect of Stereotype threat on girls' mathematics performance. They also use methods for estimating publication bias.
The research institute has developed an R based software tool called Statcheck that can detect incorrect statistical methods used in research articles. A large amount of statistical errors were detected in a sample of 50 000 psychology research articles.{{cite journal| doi =10.3758/s13428-015-0664-2| pmid =26497820| title =The prevalence of statistical reporting errors in psychology (1985–2013)| journal =Behavior Research Methods| volume =48| issue =4| pages =1205–1226| year =2015| last1 =Nuijten| first1 =Michèle B.| last2 =Hartgerink| first2 =Chris H. J.| last3 =Van Assen| first3 =Marcel A. L. M.| last4 =Epskamp| first4 =Sacha| last5 =Wicherts| first5 =Jelte M.| pmc =5101263}} The use of it was perceived negatively by some of the researchers.{{Cite journal | title = Smart software spots statistical errors in psychology papers | author = Monya Baker | journal = Nature News & Comment | date = 2015-10-28 | doi = 10.1038/nature.2015.18657 | accessdate = 2017-02-25 | url = http://www.nature.com/news/smart-software-spots-statistical-errors-in-psychology-papers-1.18657 | quote = }}{{Cite web | title = Scientists Are Worried About 'Peer Review by Algorithm' - Motherboard | last = Buranyi | first = Stephen | work = motherboard.vice.com | date = 2016-09-05 | accessdate = 2017-02-24 | url = https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/scientists-are-worried-about-peer-review-by-algorithm-statcheck | quote = }} The data mining practices of the research center have been in conflict with the policies of scientific publisher Elsevier.{{Cite web | title = PhD student stops research because of Elsevier conflict {{!}} Univers | author = Jozien Wijkhuis | work = Univers. The Independent News Website of Tilburg University | date = 2015-11-23 | accessdate = 2017-02-25 | url = https://universonline.nl/2015/11/23/phd-student-stops-research-because-of-elsevier-conflict | quote = }}
A scientific misconduct case in the field of social psychology at Tilburg University has been a contributing factor in establishing the research center.{{Cite web | title = The high-tech war on science fraud | last = Buranyi | first = Stephen | work = the Guardian | date = 2017-02-01 | accessdate = 2017-02-22 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/01/high-tech-war-on-science | language = | quote = }}
Advocacy
See also
References
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External links
- {{Cite web | title = Meta-Research Center | author = | date = | accessdate = 2017-02-22 | url = http://metaresearch.nl/ | quote = School of Social and Behavioral Sciences }}