In principle, a well-designed and well-documented experiment will accurately describe a real phenomenon and provide other researchers with everything they need to reproduce those results in a comparable study.
To replicate an experiment, researchers use the same methods of data collection and apply the same analysis, even though they have to use new subjects, often in somewhat different situations. Subjects may be generally older or younger, for example, or from a different country.
While later tests can’t possibly be identical to the original, they need to be similar enough to yield comparable data.
Concepts like “similar enough” and “comparable data” involve a level of subjectivity that adds to the controversy around replication. When a study fails a replication attempt, defenders often question whether the followup truly reflected the original. Researchers help to resolve such debates when they openly share their data and methods.
Recent Posts
Pumped Up
These 3-D printers create perfect models of life-sized human hearts, spines and other body parts
A Bright Future for Front Campus
U of T’s plans for new trees, gardens and green space around King’s College Circle bring the university a $100,000 gift
The Deadly Global Fungus
Prof. Leah Cowen’s lab aims to understand how C. auris works and how to stop it
