Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth

by Stuart Ritchie

Perverse incentives work like an ill-tempered genie, giving you exactly what you asked for but not necessarily what you wanted. Incentivise publication quantity, and you’ll get it – but be prepared for scientists to have less time to check for mistakes, and for salami-slicing to become a norm. Incentivise publication in high-impact journals, and you’ll get it – but be prepared for scientists to use p-hacking, publication bias and even fraud in their attempts to get there. Incentivise competing for grant money, and you’ll get it – but be prepared for scientists to hype and spin their findings out of all proportion in an attempt to catch the eye of the funders. On the surface, our current system of science funding and publication might seem like it promotes productivity and innovation, but instead it often rewards those who are following only the letter, rather than the spirit, of the endeavour.62