@article{ref1,
title="False-positive psychology: undisclosed flexibility in data collection and analysis allows presenting anything as significant",
journal="Psychological science",
year="2011",
author="Simmons, Joseph P. and Nelson, Leif D. and Simonsohn, Uri",
volume="22",
number="11",
pages="1359-1366",
abstract="In this article, we accomplish two things. First, we show that despite empirical psychologists' nominal endorsement of a low rate of false-positive findings (≤ .05), flexibility in data collection, analysis, and reporting dramatically increases actual false-positive rates. In many cases, a researcher is more likely to falsely find evidence that an effect exists than to correctly find evidence that it does not. We present computer simulations and a pair of actual experiments that demonstrate how unacceptably easy it is to accumulate (and report) statistically significant evidence for a false hypothesis. Second, we suggest a simple, low-cost, and straightforwardly effective disclosure-based solution to this problem. The solution involves six concrete requirements for authors and four guidelines for reviewers, all of which impose a minimal burden on the publication process.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0956-7976",
doi="10.1177/0956797611417632",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797611417632"
}