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The ‘replication crisis’ in the public eye: Germans’ awareness and perceptions of the (ir)reproducibility of scientific research


Mede, Niels G; Schäfer, Mike S; Ziegler, Ricarda; Weisskopf, Markus (2021). The ‘replication crisis’ in the public eye: Germans’ awareness and perceptions of the (ir)reproducibility of scientific research. Public Understanding of Science, 30(1):91-102.

Abstract

Several meta-analytical attempts to reproduce results of empirical research have failed in recent years, prompting scholars and news media to diagnose a ‘replication crisis’ and voice concerns about science losing public credibility. Others, in contrast, hoped replication efforts would improve public confidence in science. Yet nationally representative evidence backing these concerns or hopes is scarce. We provide such evidence, conducting a secondary analysis of the German “Science Barometer” (“Wissenschaftsbarometer”) survey. We find that most Germans are not aware of the ‘replication crisis’. In addition, most interpret replication efforts as indicative of scientific quality control and science’s self-correcting nature. However, supporters of the populist right-wing party AfD tend to believe that the ‘crisis’ shows one cannot trust science, perhaps using it as an argument to discredit science. But for the majority of Germans, hopes about reputational benefits of the ‘replication crisis’ for science seem more justified than concerns about detrimental effects.

Abstract

Several meta-analytical attempts to reproduce results of empirical research have failed in recent years, prompting scholars and news media to diagnose a ‘replication crisis’ and voice concerns about science losing public credibility. Others, in contrast, hoped replication efforts would improve public confidence in science. Yet nationally representative evidence backing these concerns or hopes is scarce. We provide such evidence, conducting a secondary analysis of the German “Science Barometer” (“Wissenschaftsbarometer”) survey. We find that most Germans are not aware of the ‘replication crisis’. In addition, most interpret replication efforts as indicative of scientific quality control and science’s self-correcting nature. However, supporters of the populist right-wing party AfD tend to believe that the ‘crisis’ shows one cannot trust science, perhaps using it as an argument to discredit science. But for the majority of Germans, hopes about reputational benefits of the ‘replication crisis’ for science seem more justified than concerns about detrimental effects.

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Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:06 Faculty of Arts > Department of Communication and Media Research
Dewey Decimal Classification:070 News media, journalism & publishing
Scopus Subject Areas:Social Sciences & Humanities > Communication
Social Sciences & Humanities > Developmental and Educational Psychology
Social Sciences & Humanities > Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Uncontrolled Keywords:Attitudes toward science, trust in science, replicability, representative survey, secondary analysis
Language:English
Date:1 January 2021
Deposited On:18 Nov 2020 16:01
Last Modified:21 Mar 2023 08:31
Publisher:Sage Publications
ISSN:0963-6625
OA Status:Green
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662520954370
  • Content: Accepted Version
  • Language: English