Scientific Credibility Research Articles

The Einstein effect provides global evidence for scientific source credibility effects and the influence of religiosity.

People tend to evaluate information from reliable sources more favourably, but it is unclear exactly how perceivers' worldviews interact with this source credibility effect. In a large and diverse cross-cultural sample (N = 10,195 from 24 countries), we presented participants with obscure, meaningless statements attributed to either a spiritual guru or a scientist. We found a robust global source credibility effect for scientific authorities, which we dub 'the Einstein effect': across all 24 countries and all levels of religiosity, scientists held greater authority than spiritual gurus. In addition, individual religiosity predicted a weaker relative preference for the statement from the scientist compared with the spiritual guru, and was more strongly associated with credibility judgements for the guru than the scientist. Independent data on explicit trust ratings across 143 countries mirrored our experimental findings. These findings suggest that irrespective of one's religious worldview, across cultures science is a powerful and universal heuristic that signals the reliability of information.

The Body, Experience, and the History of Dream-Science in Artemidorus’Oneirocritica

AbstractThe five books of Artemidorus of Ephesus’ Oneirocritica (c. second century CE) constitute the largest collection of divinatory dream-interpretations to survive from Graeco-Roman antiquity. This article examines Artemidorus’ contribution to longstanding medico-philosophical debates over the ontological and epistemic character of such dreams. As with wider Mediterranean traditions concerning premonitory dreams, Greeks and Romans popularly understood them as phenomena with origins exterior to the dreamer (e.g. a visitation of a god). Presocratic and Hippocratic thinkers, however, initiated an effort to bring at least some dream events within the body as interior processes of a physical soul, a bodily turn which ultimately engendered a split in thinking about the possibility and scope of prophetic and diagnostic dreams (e.g. Hippocrates Regimen 4, Aristotle On Prophecy in Dreams, Rufus of Ephesus, and Galen). Here, I examine the way that Artemidorus meant the Oneirocritica to address seriously questions about the origins of dreams and the powers of empirical science in two, related ways. We will see that his defense of oneirocriticism as a techne unfolds along two main axes. First, Artemidorus constructs a necessary veneer of scientific credibility by mobilizing the tropes and organizational strategies characteristic of contemporary technical literature. Secondly, he anchors that authority upon a materialist account of prophetic dreams as “semiotic movements of the soul.” As Price, S. 1986. “The Future of Dreams: From Freud to Artemidorus.”Past & Present113: 3–36 and Harris-McCoy, D. 2012.Artemidorus’ Oneirocritica: Text, Translation, and Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press observed, this explicit commitment to an empirical method of dream-interpretation resembles that of the Hellenistic medical ‘sect’ known as ‘Empiricists,’ who eschewed interest in theoretical etiology in favor of observation, comparison, and compilation of symptoms and outcomes. Pushing beyond similarity, I argue that Artemidorus not only deployed this method to defend empirically grounded accounts of dream-divination (cf. Cicero De div. 1), but endeavored to show that such a scientific method can be used to stabilize and corral productively the potentially infinite number of interpretations any dream-sign might bear without recourse to an underlying, causal theory.

Research on the Influencing Factors of Scientific Researchers' Integrity Based on Grounded Theory

At present, the issue of scientific research integrity has become a hot issue of common concern to academia and the public, and scientific research personnel' research misconduct has always been the focus prevention area of scientific research integrity, so it is the key to prevent and curb breach of trust from the source. This study conducts semi-structured interviews with 26 scientific researchers, uses rooted theories to encode the original data, and constructs an analysis framework for theinfluencing factors of scientific research credibility from four dimensions: scientific research literacy, personal literacy, resource environment and institutional policies. Research shows that the personal accomplishment and scientific research literacy of scientific researchers are internal driving factors that directly determine the frequency and intensity of their scientific research dishonesty behaviour. The resource environment and system policy are external driving factors that indirectly affect the scientific research credibility of scientific researchers. The research results provide countermeasures and ideas for further standardising the behaviour of scientific researchers and creating a healthy academic environment.

CrowdIoT: The Crowd-Sourcing Test System for IoT Devices Based on Blockchain

In view of some problems existing in traditional software crowdsourcing tests and Internet of Things device tests, we developed a CrowdIoT crowdsourcing test system for the Internet of Things devices based on a block chain. CrowdIoT uses the core technology of blockchain to focus its testing on physical devices on the Internet of Things. CrowdIoT uses two different testing methods for different testing needs: online testing and offline testing. Online remote testing is our key function and research object. By opening the testing interface of Internet of Things devices to testers, testers can test the devices in the CrowdIoT system interface without having to get the hardware. At the same time, CrowdIoT introduced multi-threaded parallel testing technology to solve the conflict problem of multiple testers competing for hardware resources in online testing. Offline testing, as a supplement to online testing, is to send Internet of Things devices to testers with high credibility in deposit guarantee, so that testers can fully test the hardware devices and dig out as many vulnerabilities of the devices as possible. CrowdIoT has its own complete and scientific credibility system, combined with relevant incentive mechanism, consensus mechanism and connection mechanism, which not only effectively solves the centralization problem existing in traditional crowdsourcing testing platforms, but also solves the pain point of the lack of remote testing of Internet of Things devices in the market. Then it solves the problems of equipment limitation and testing cost limits in the field of Internet of Things equipment testing, and provides a platform for security testing and use for the Internet of Things participants.

The Vaccine Skeptics of 1721

The Vaccine Skeptics of 1721

Effects of politicization on the practice of science.

Since many of the problems societies face today are complex and, by origin, are scientific (e.g., climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, etc.), scientific evidence is imperative in many policymaking processes to get a deeper understanding of these issues and possible risks and to derive and justify certain policy measures. The close intertwining of science and politics, however, can have both positive (e.g., growing recognition or reputation, fact-based decision making) and negative consequences (e.g., growing science skepticism, expertocracy, and misuse of scientific credibility to pursue political agendas) for science. The first aim of our paper is to sharpen the theoretical conceptualization of the phenomenon of politicization, and the second aim is to disentangle different drivers (politics and political actors, media and journalists, science and scientists) that may fuel a politicization of science. Based on this, possible effects of politicization for individual scientists and for science as a whole and, thus, for the practice of science are discussed.

How Do Sociologists Know What They Know? An Examination of Sociology Textbooks for Evidence of Sociological and Scientific Thinking

The American Sociological Association recommends that instructors and departments infuse research methods instruction throughout the curriculum (i.e., beyond research methods courses). Sociology textbooks are widely used instructional components and are essential to examine how research instruction extends beyond chapters and courses on research methods. The author uses qualitative content analysis of 27 textbooks for introductory courses ( n = 19) and intermediate elective courses ( n = 8) to uncover how textbooks illuminate the process of how sociologists know what they know (i.e., do research). Overall, textbooks model asociological and unscientific thinking by using false equivalence practices, reinforcing commonsense explanations, and relying on shortcuts to scientific credibility, among other means. Textbooks describe society using basic descriptive statistical data but provide little explanation of how scholars gather or analyze data or draw conclusions about data. These results suggest that textbooks have gaps in their ability to support research methods instruction throughout the sociology curriculum.

Reform Lessons From Investigative Journalism. Review Essay of ‘Beancounters’ by Richard Brooks

In 2021, the work of investigative journalists ICIJ and the accountants-founded global NGO Tax Justice Network had been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. This article reviews a recent bestselling research book by a multi-award-winning Private Eye investigative journalist: ‘Beancounters’ by Richard Brooks. Despite being a significant influence on global accounting practice, the culture, politics, services and practices of the Big 4 firms have hardly received serious forensic scrutiny by accounting academics. This paper discusses the methods, motives and breakthroughs of investigative journalists and how these can help advance our research and teaching in accounting. Their scoops and narratives can certainly make the classroom very interesting. Freed from the need to ‘prove’ scientific credibility and appease academic peer-review, investigative journalists can provide us with new concepts, linkages, data and evidence which we would not otherwise have seen. They force us to step out of our disciplinary boundaries and raise disturbing questions about our academic leadership, pedagogy, moral purpose and strategic direction. We provide suggestions for renewed academic courage, research and education reform in both accounting and finance and how the disciplines can be made more ethical, relevant and impactful.

Melacak Dakwah Keilmuan Ulama Nusantara: Geliat Pergerakan KH. Hasyim Asy'ari

The da'wah movement in Nusantara inseparable from the scientific stretching of the scholars in bringing Islamic teachings to Nusantara. The teachings of da'wah brought by the scholars are packaged in various ways according to their respective patterns and tendencies. In Java KH. Hasyim Asyari brought preaching treatises with various things, including those related to the teachings of jihad fi sabilillah (jihad resolution), because of the conditions at that time, Indonesia was under Dutch colonial rule, in another context the scientific teachings brought by KH. Asyari is inseparable from his madhzab background as a Sunni, so he brings religious teachings with tawassut (the middle way). In da'wah in the field of education, KH. Hasyim Asy'ari tends to remind the importance of adab and morals as a path for people. In other fields, he also used his scientific credibility to invite Muslims in Indonesia to return to the right path, as was his effort in compiling collections of hadith books as guidelines for the Indonesian Muslim community at that time.

Improving pedagogy through Registered Reports

An emphasis on research-led teaching across educational settings has meant that more and more implementations for improving student learning are based on published research. However, the validity and the reliability of those implementations is only as strong as the research they are based on. The recent replication crisis, witnessed across various fields of science, including pedagogical research, has called into question the published research record. Along with addressing issues in research practices, changes to publication practices are seen as an important step in ensuring that evidence-based teaching practices we adopt in our classrooms are fit for purpose. Here we highlight a number of issues within the pedagogical literature, including a lack of replication studies and a positive publication bias, as well as common questionable research practices, that need addressed to ensure credible science as a basis for educational interventions. We propose the adoption of Registered Reports as a means for counteracting these issues. By ensuring that the literature that we base policy and practice upon is published based on its scientific rigor, and not merely its outcome, we believe that the field will have a stronger basis on which to decide the implementations and approaches we adopt within our classrooms.

Credibility via Coupling

This study investigates Model Intercomparison Projects (MIPs) as one example of a coordinated approach to establishing scientific credibility. MIPs originated within climate science as a method to evaluate and compare disparate climate models, but MIPs or MIP-like projects are now spreading to many scientific fields. Within climate science, MIPs have advanced knowledge of: a) the climate phenomena being modeled, and b) the building of climate models themselves. MIPs thus build scientific confidence in the climate modeling enterprise writ large, reducing questions of the credibility or reproducibility of any single model. This paper will discuss how MIPs organize people, models, and data through institution and infrastructure coupling (IIC). IIC involves establishing mechanisms and technologies for collecting, distributing, and comparing data and models (infrastructural work), alongside corresponding governance structures, rules of participation, and collaboration mechanisms that enable partners around the world to work together effectively (institutional work). Coupling these efforts involves developing formal and informal ways to standardize data and metadata, create common vocabularies, provide uniform tools and methods for evaluating resulting data, and build community around shared research topics.

Was Germany’s Lockdown in Spring 2020 Necessary? How Bad Data Quality Can Turn a Simulation Into a Delusion that Shapes the Future

During the spread of SARS-Cov-2, Germany imposed various restrictions, including the closure of schools on March 16 2020, and an extensive lockdown on March 23 2020. In this paper, we show how the influential simulation of the purported beneficial effects of this lockdown in Germany was based on wrong data, but nevertheless played a decisive role in shaping the future by allegedly producing evidence for the effectiveness of these measures, lending scientific credibility to policies. We point out that the evaluation of the success of such policies depends critically on data quality. Using publicly reported confirmed cases for the calculation of time series statistics is apt to produce misleading results because these data come with unknown variable time lags. Using data on incident cases, i.e., dates of the onset of symptoms, produces results that are much more reliable. Using this method demonstrates that previous analyses stating that the mitigation strategies of the German government were necessary and effective are indeed flawed. This in turn shows that model simulations and dissimulations are very close neighbors.

The Myth of Madness: Murderous Mothers and Maternal Infanticide

The sex-specific doctrine of infanticide provides a merciful method of dealing with women who kill their newborn children in circumstances of psychological distress. This article examines the contentious medical rationale which underpins infanticide legislation with the purpose of providing a substantiated argument for the abolition of this antiquated doctrine. Specifically, a two-pronged approach is taken. First, by utilising the views of contemporary medical science, the scientific credibility of the medical rationale is scrutinised. Second, by drawing upon feminist legal theory, a myriad of concerns associated with the medicalisation of female offenders are critically discussed. Ultimately, it is suggested that the offence/defence of infanticide should be abolished and that crimes of this nature should be readily subsumed under the current partial defence of diminished responsibility.

The European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management EURAD: update of its strategic research agenda

Abstract. The European Joint Programme on Radioactive Waste Management EURAD brings together various research actors, namely waste management organisations (WMO), technical support organisations (TSO) and research entities (RE), to work on a joint strategic research agenda (SRA) focusing on deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. In total, 116 project partners from 23 countries have worked jointly since 2019 in collaborative RD&D work packages, strategic studies and various knowledge management activities. EURAD research is driven by the need for implementation of a deep geological repository and its safety, while aiming for scientific excellence. EURAD has developed a roadmap which is seen as a representation of a generic radioactive waste management (RWM) programme. The content is focused on what knowledge and competencies (including infrastructures) are considered most critical for RWM and implementation of deep geological disposal, in alignment with the EURAD vision. Here, the current SRA update process will be outlined from the perspective of Europe's research entities contributing to EURAD. In this context, the international network of research entities EURADSCIENCE plays a key role. EURADSCIENCE addresses – and will address during decades to come – scientific excellence in (the full lifecycle of) radioactive waste management from cradle to grave. As an independent, cross-disciplinary and inclusive organization, its overarching aim is to ensure scientific excellence and credibility in decision-making on RWM, regardless of national implementation status, waste type or national inventory. To this end, EURADSCIENCE will define and update its own SRA. The approach here is to maintain a holistic view of scientific disciplines and provide scientific excellence to advance progress of national radioactive waste management programmes, and to ensure scientific credibility of waste management concepts as well as addressing fundamental requirements related to knowledge management. More generally speaking, EURADSCIENCE aims to bring forward a vision that assures that scientific excellence and ever-developing scientific advances are integrated at any given time into the multigenerational implementation process of geological disposal. Similarly, the respective WMO and TSO networks, IGD-TP and SITEX, have developed their SRAs based on their specific roles and perspectives. Ultimately, the overlap between these SRAs will define the envelope for future European RD&D activities in the context of RWM. The update process has recently been consolidated after consultations between the three actor groups. Ultimately, the EURAD general assembly will have to approve the SRA update process regarding its alignment with the EURAD roadmap, the development of the seven existing SRA themes, the development of future RD&D activities via an EURAD exchange forum and the focus of RD&D planning for the next 10 years.

Evidence for Validity and Reliability, and Development of Performance Standards and Cut-Scores for Job-Related Tests of Physical Aptitude for Structural Firefighters.

This multi-part study aimed to revise an existing battery of physical aptitude tests for firefighter applicants. Test validity and reliability were evaluated and performance thresholds were determined. In Part I, 49 structural firefighters rated the similarity between the physical demands of the tests and corresponding work activities. In Part II, 23 participants completed the tests on 3 separate days. In Part III, cut-scores were determined using the Bookmark method by an expert panel of 25 firefighter supervisors. Analysis revealed high levels of validity and reliability. The expert panel provided invaluable direction through a combination of independent and group work, leading to consensus on acceptable completion times. Rigorous processes established scientific credibility for the revised battery of tests. Expert knowledge from firefighter supervisors contributed to determining cut-scores following established scientific methods.

Integrating Psychiatry and Medical Biotechnology as a Way to Achieve Scientific, Precision, and Personalized Psychiatry

Besides concerns about the increasing prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the significant burdens and costs, there are concerns about its validity. The dilemma of validity went so far that studies described the diagnoses in psychiatry as scientifically worthless. We suggest integrating psychiatry and medical biotechnology and using biotechnological products in psychiatric aspects help psychiatry become more precise, strengthen its position among other sciences, and increase its scientific credibility by giving examples. For this matter, we need different inputs to choose between the vast outputs. The most common inputs are clinical symptoms, cognitive function, individual and environmental risk factors, molecular markers, genetic markers, neuroimaging signs, and big data. Some molecular markers have been shown to have a relationship with psychiatric disorders such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α). Genetic studies might evolve the most accurate part of precision psychiatry. Currently, and through the developments in technology, genome-wide association studies have become available. In neuroimaging signs, psychiatric disorders are associated with generalized rather than focal brain network dysfunction, and functional magnetic resonance imaging could be performed to study them. It would exhibit different aberrancies in various psychiatric disorders. In big data, the constitution of predictive models and movement toward precision psychiatry can be led by using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Guide, Co-guide, Supervisors as Author in Publication on Student Thesis.

Good research writing and publication practices are important to identify, acknowledge, and generate awareness for ethical and credible science. Academic requirement for research thesis, and 'publish or perish' culture of academia for career evaluation of faculties contribute to authorship misconducts. The authorship criteria have been clearly outlined by international guidelines like International Committee of Medical Journals Editors, Committee on Publication Ethics, Council of Science Editors, World Association of Medical Editors. However, the practice of guide, co-guide as authors in students' thesis articles continues as inappropriate authorship. This is a topic which requires more debate in academia. Historical practices of academia, the power dynamics, and the guidelines of the journals vary and make this dispute even more complicated. In Nepal, we need to expand the discussion among stakeholders from academia, universities, monitoring bodies, ethical committees to journals for a consensus; to 'put to rest' this issue and be in line with the international guidelines. Keywords: Authorship guideline; journal article publication; research thesis guide co-guide supervisor.

A new method for describing the inundation status of floodplain wetland

The inundation state is one of the main factors affecting the development of river floodplain wetlands, and the water inundate frequency (WIF) is a commonly used characterisation tool. This study combines remote sensing data with ground hydrological observation data to propose the water inundate guarantee rate (WIGR) as a new tool to characterise the inundation probability in river floodplain areas. It further conducts a comparative study between WIGR and WIF in the Yimin River, located in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The results show that the inundation state maps of the study area are generally consistent using WIF and WIGR. However, there are observed differences in specific regions. In regions with very low assurance rates, it covers a larger area of 2.90 km2 using WIGR relative to WIF. Meanwhile, The area of other low, medium, high and very high areas is relatively lower. The reason for the difference is that the selected 52 phase remote sensing data corresponds to a low flow guarantee rate, which is generally medium and high. Further, the flow guarantee rate introduced in the WIGR analysis process plays a corrective role in the final analysis results. Compared with WIF, the WIGR algorithm is systematic, continuous, and has certain statistical significance, which has higher scientific credibility and accuracy. Specifically, the simple operation of the WIGR algorithm shows great potential to be applied to other related studies. Nevertheless, further improvement of the WIGR algorithm should focus on the influence of the atmospheric environment on remote sensing data and the acquisition of hydrological data. The WIGR proposed in this study can provide technical support for the conservation of river floodplain wetlands and open new ideas for studying river floodplain wetland ecosystems.

Skepticism and defiance: Assessing credibility and representations of science.

Since the 1970s, there has been a growing interest in how individuals appropriate scientific knowledge, which has recently been reinforced by societal issues such as vaccine releases and skepticism about global warming. Faced with the health and social consequences of the mistrust of scientific knowledge, there is an urgent need for tools to measure the acceptance or rejection of scientific knowledge, while at the same time gaining a more detailed understanding of the processes involved. This is the purpose of this article. Thus, we conducted 4 empirical studies to provide a validation of the Credibility of Science Scale from the perspective of a French population, which aims to assess the credibility that individuals attribute to science and to empirically evaluate the link that may exist between the different levels of credibility attributed to science and the social representations of science. Studies 1a and 1b demonstrated good structural validity, the good fidelity (homogeneity and temporal stability), and the good criterion validity of the French version of the scale. In Study 2, we observed the same psychometric qualities of the French version of the scale. We also noted a structuring of the social representation of science based on age (Factor 1) and on the credibility attributed to science (Factor 2). Our results also raise the question of possible means of intervention to promote a better perception of science.

Psychiatry in the Time of COVID: Credibility, Uncertainty, and Self-Reflection.

Public trust in the credibility of medicine and physicians has been severely tested amid the COVID-19 pandemic and growing sociopolitical fissures in the United States. Physicians are being asked to be ambassadors to the public of scientific information. Psychiatrists have an opportunity to help the public understand and accept a "new normal" during a time of such uncertainty. Using a case example, we review the impact of uncertainty and fear on scientific and medical credibility. Although the pandemic provides an opportunity for systemic change, the consequences of any change remain unknown. To help patients navigate the uncertainty, we conclude by offering four guidelines to clinicians: the public has little interest in understanding the scientific method; we need to acknowledge that we do not have all the answers; credibility and trustworthiness are linked to our ability to be trusted, believable messengers; and we can retain scientific credibility while acknowledging uncertainty.