The Importance of Publishing Negative Results in Science: Addressing the Bias through New Journal

The bias towards publishing only studies with positive results is becoming a growing problem in scientific research and publishing. While it’s understandable that researchers want to prove their hypotheses, the lack of incentive to publish negative results is exacerbating this issue. This can lead to a lack of transparency and openness in the scientific community, which can hinder future breakthroughs.

To address this problem, the Journal of Trial and Error was founded to exclusively publish negative results. The team behind the journal hopes to change the perception of failure within the scientific community and strengthen the field of science by promoting transparency and openness. In a recent interview with guest host Anna Rothschild, Dr. Sarahanne Field, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Trial And Error and assistant professor in behavioral and social sciences at the University of Groningen, discussed the importance of recognizing and publishing negative results in scientific research. The journal serves as a platform for researchers to share their findings, regardless of whether they support or contradict their initial hypotheses.