Science’s Reproducibility Problem

Die Chemiker (detail), Ernst Karl Georg Zimmermann (1852-1901)WIKIMEDIA, DOROTHEUMThe gold standard for science is reproducibility. Ideally, research results are only worthy of attention, publication, and citation based if independent researchers can replicate them using a particular study’s methods and materials. But for much of the scientific literature, results aren’t reproducible at all. The causes and remedies for this state of affairs was the topic of a recent panel discussion titled “Sense and Reproducibility,” held at the annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in San Francisco, California.

Glenn Begley, former head of research at Amgen and roundtable panel member, spoke of his March revelation that the biotech company’s scientists were unable to replicate the results of 47 out of 53 papers that were seminal to launching drug-discovery programs. “This is a systemic problem built on current incentives,” he said according to Nature.

The panel offered...