Why Most Published Research Findings Are False

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/why-most-published-research-findings-are-false

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who wrote Why Most Published Research Findings Are False?John Ioannidis
2. What is the affiliation?Stanford School of Medicine
3. What is the publication venue?PLOS Medicine
4. What does it mean when a research finding is "false"?When a research finding is false, it means the result that was reported actually does not reflect a real effect or relationship. Scientists think it is true, but later tests show it is not.
5. Why do scientists use p-values and how can they lead to wrong results?Scientists test a hypothesis by looking at data and calculating a p‑value. If the p‑value is below 0.05, they say the result is statistically significant, but this can still be a false positive if many studies are done or if the true effect is rare.

Metascience: The scientific study of science itself, focusing on its methods, reproducibility, and impact.
Hypothesis Testing: A statistical framework used to evaluate evidence supporting or refuting a scientific claim against a null hypothesis.
P-value: The probability of obtaining observed results, or more extreme results, assuming the null hypothesis is true.
Publication Bias: The tendency for studies with positive or statistically significant results to be more likely published than those with negative results.