SCIENTISTS EVALUATIONS OF RESEARCH - THE BIASING EFFECTS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPIC

We tested the hypothesis that the importance of the topic of research can make people overlook methodological flaws in the research. Two samples of scientists, faculty at a major medical school and research psychologists, evaluated the methodological rigor and publishability of brief descriptions of flawed research studies. Two versions of each study were identical except for the importance of the topic (e.g., heart disease vs. heartburn). When the topic was important, scientists in both samples were significantly more likely to overlook the methodological flaws, and significantly more lenient in their recommendations that the studies be published.