ERIC Number: EJ1367248
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1364-5579
EISSN: EISSN-1464-5300
The Influence of Unpublished Studies on Results of Recent Meta-Analyses: Publication Bias, the File Drawer Problem, and Implications for the Replication Crisis
Wagner, John A., III
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, v25 n5 p639-644 2022
The replication crisis in the social and psychological sciences is said to be due in part to publication bias and the resulting file drawer problem. Meta-analysis is often advocated as a means of resolving this crisis but is prone to the same publication bias and file drawer effects. A study of 23 meta-analyses examined the consequences of correcting for these effects through the inclusion of unpublished research. Results indicated that the inclusion of unpublished data led to smaller meta-analytic means in some instances, consistent with the primary theorized effects of the file drawer problem and publication bias, but led to larger meta-analytic means in nearly as many instances, suggesting the presence and influence of other, unknown artifacts in unpublished research. These findings suggest that meta-analysis is limited in its ability to resolve the replication crisis and instead may introduce unexplained effects that render cumulative science problematic.
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A