Daniel Lakens
@lakens.bsky.social
Metascience, statistics, psychology, philosophy of science. Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands. Omnia probate. 🇪🇺
Pinned
Daniel Lakens
@lakens.bsky.social
· Apr 14
OSF
osf.io
My paper on concerns about replicability, theorizing, relevance, generalizability, and methodology across 2 crises is now in press at the International Review of Social Psychology. After revisions it was 17500 words, so it is split in 2 parts: osf.io/dtvs7_v2 and osf.io/g6kja_v1
We are back after lunch, and continue with Rink Hoekstra, with a talk calling for more transparency and accountability in scientific publishing. #PSE8
February 11, 2026 at 1:06 PM
We are back after lunch, and continue with Rink Hoekstra, with a talk calling for more transparency and accountability in scientific publishing. #PSE8
Now the first keynote of the conference, Vlasta Sikimić, who will talk about the importance of intellectual virtues, and their role in a future in which we might have a bigger role of AI in the evaluation or review of scientific grants and papers. #PSE8
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Now the first keynote of the conference, Vlasta Sikimić, who will talk about the importance of intellectual virtues, and their role in a future in which we might have a bigger role of AI in the evaluation or review of scientific grants and papers. #PSE8
When we want to distinguish erroneous results from true effects, we need to perform replication studies where we systematically vary factors that aim to isolate the source of the error in repeated conceptual and direct replications. We need to "probe" for sources of error!
February 11, 2026 at 9:35 AM
When we want to distinguish erroneous results from true effects, we need to perform replication studies where we systematically vary factors that aim to isolate the source of the error in repeated conceptual and direct replications. We need to "probe" for sources of error!
Douglas Allchin summarizes many examples in the history of science where artifacts replicate very well. #PSE8
Lovely examples (like N-rays) of the trivial truth that successful replications do not imply the truth. But replications are essential to figure out what's what!
Lovely examples (like N-rays) of the trivial truth that successful replications do not imply the truth. But replications are essential to figure out what's what!
February 11, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Douglas Allchin summarizes many examples in the history of science where artifacts replicate very well. #PSE8
Lovely examples (like N-rays) of the trivial truth that successful replications do not imply the truth. But replications are essential to figure out what's what!
Lovely examples (like N-rays) of the trivial truth that successful replications do not imply the truth. But replications are essential to figure out what's what!
Now Douglas Allchin from the University of Minnesota, taking a history of science perspective on errors in science. #PSE8 He will dig into Joseph Priestley's 1771 experiment on the restoration of air (unknown to most audience members!)
February 11, 2026 at 9:23 AM
Now Douglas Allchin from the University of Minnesota, taking a history of science perspective on errors in science. #PSE8 He will dig into Joseph Priestley's 1771 experiment on the restoration of air (unknown to most audience members!)
Now Aurélien Allard with the second talk of #PSE8: How is it possible that there is massive scientific progress, even thought there is a lot of scientific error?
February 11, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Now Aurélien Allard with the second talk of #PSE8: How is it possible that there is massive scientific progress, even thought there is a lot of scientific error?
First talk of the Perspectives on Scientific Error conference under way! Kaitlyn Harper from LMU, Munich, talking about how we should balance novelty and replication.
February 11, 2026 at 8:24 AM
First talk of the Perspectives on Scientific Error conference under way! Kaitlyn Harper from LMU, Munich, talking about how we should balance novelty and replication.
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
How do we know our research results are REAL? We replicate them! Most folks agree but lament on how hard it is to publish these replications.
My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/
academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...
My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/
academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...
Replication studies: a win-win for early-career training and behavioral ecology
Replicating previous research builds confidence that results are real and meaningful. But close replications are rare due to limitations in resources and d
academic.oup.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:42 PM
How do we know our research results are REAL? We replicate them! Most folks agree but lament on how hard it is to publish these replications.
My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/
academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...
My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/
academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
so excited to join #PSE8! can’t wait to meet friends IRL and get some inspiration on what to do with my academic life in the age of AI 😅 the line-up is 🔥 perspectivesonscientificerror2026.wordpress.com and they even got @fbartos.bsky.social as a keynote! 😊
Everything is ready for the Perspectives on Scientific Error conference that starts tomorrow in Leiden! I look forward to hanging out with the mix of metascientists, philosophers of science, and statisticians! So many old friends will be there (and hopefully some new ones)! #PSE8
February 10, 2026 at 5:38 PM
so excited to join #PSE8! can’t wait to meet friends IRL and get some inspiration on what to do with my academic life in the age of AI 😅 the line-up is 🔥 perspectivesonscientificerror2026.wordpress.com and they even got @fbartos.bsky.social as a keynote! 😊
Everything is ready for the Perspectives on Scientific Error conference that starts tomorrow in Leiden! I look forward to hanging out with the mix of metascientists, philosophers of science, and statisticians! So many old friends will be there (and hopefully some new ones)! #PSE8
February 10, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Everything is ready for the Perspectives on Scientific Error conference that starts tomorrow in Leiden! I look forward to hanging out with the mix of metascientists, philosophers of science, and statisticians! So many old friends will be there (and hopefully some new ones)! #PSE8
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
NEW BLOG!
Ruxandra Teslo @ruxandrabio.bsky.social, Adam Kroetsch, Manjari Narayan @neurostats.org, Witold Więcek and I have started a joint blog on clinical trial reform.
We'll aim to publish weekly on how to make clinical trials more efficient.
Subscribe: clinicaltrialsabundance.blog
Ruxandra Teslo @ruxandrabio.bsky.social, Adam Kroetsch, Manjari Narayan @neurostats.org, Witold Więcek and I have started a joint blog on clinical trial reform.
We'll aim to publish weekly on how to make clinical trials more efficient.
Subscribe: clinicaltrialsabundance.blog
February 9, 2026 at 4:50 PM
NEW BLOG!
Ruxandra Teslo @ruxandrabio.bsky.social, Adam Kroetsch, Manjari Narayan @neurostats.org, Witold Więcek and I have started a joint blog on clinical trial reform.
We'll aim to publish weekly on how to make clinical trials more efficient.
Subscribe: clinicaltrialsabundance.blog
Ruxandra Teslo @ruxandrabio.bsky.social, Adam Kroetsch, Manjari Narayan @neurostats.org, Witold Więcek and I have started a joint blog on clinical trial reform.
We'll aim to publish weekly on how to make clinical trials more efficient.
Subscribe: clinicaltrialsabundance.blog
My colleague Krist Vaessen wrote a new book: “Neomania: How our obsession with innovation is failing science, and how to restore trust”. It's a great analysis how the drive for novelty hinders reliable scientific progress. Open Access, so read it here: books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp...
do.call
February 9, 2026 at 3:47 PM
My colleague Krist Vaessen wrote a new book: “Neomania: How our obsession with innovation is failing science, and how to restore trust”. It's a great analysis how the drive for novelty hinders reliable scientific progress. Open Access, so read it here: books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp...
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
New blog post, inspired by the excellent recent qualitative paper by Makel and colleagues: On the reliability and reproducibility of qualitative research.
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
On the reliability and reproducibility of qualitative research
With my collaborators, I am increasingly performing qualitative research. I find qualitative research projects a useful way to improve my un...
daniellakens.blogspot.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:46 AM
New blog post, inspired by the excellent recent qualitative paper by Makel and colleagues: On the reliability and reproducibility of qualitative research.
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
New blog post, inspired by the excellent recent qualitative paper by Makel and colleagues: On the reliability and reproducibility of qualitative research.
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
On the reliability and reproducibility of qualitative research
With my collaborators, I am increasingly performing qualitative research. I find qualitative research projects a useful way to improve my un...
daniellakens.blogspot.com
February 8, 2026 at 7:46 AM
New blog post, inspired by the excellent recent qualitative paper by Makel and colleagues: On the reliability and reproducibility of qualitative research.
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
I reflect on how I will incorporate realist ontologies in my own qualitative research.
daniellakens.blogspot.com/2026/02/on-r...
Indeed, it is perhaps surprising this has not been pointed out, but as far as I know, qualitative research is among the most replicable research areas in science. Or at least, all the replication studies I have seen are basically successful replications. It might not be 100%, but it is high!
Note that this in itself is a well-replicated finding. At least a dozen studies show that when researchers replicate qualitative research, or re-analyze it, they come to basically identical themes. There is nothing special about qualitative research with respect to replicability.
This is a great qualitative research paper. It sheds light on questionable research practices. But more importantly it demonstrates direct replications in qualitative research work as you would expect: independent teams reach basically the same conclusions royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...
February 7, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Indeed, it is perhaps surprising this has not been pointed out, but as far as I know, qualitative research is among the most replicable research areas in science. Or at least, all the replication studies I have seen are basically successful replications. It might not be 100%, but it is high!
Note that this in itself is a well-replicated finding. At least a dozen studies show that when researchers replicate qualitative research, or re-analyze it, they come to basically identical themes. There is nothing special about qualitative research with respect to replicability.
This is a great qualitative research paper. It sheds light on questionable research practices. But more importantly it demonstrates direct replications in qualitative research work as you would expect: independent teams reach basically the same conclusions royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...
‘Don’t hate the players, hate the game’: qualitative insights from education researchers on questionable and open research practices
Abstract. Both questionable (e.g. p-hacking) and open (e.g. pre-registration) research practices are prevalent in education research. We sought to understa
royalsocietypublishing.org
February 7, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Note that this in itself is a well-replicated finding. At least a dozen studies show that when researchers replicate qualitative research, or re-analyze it, they come to basically identical themes. There is nothing special about qualitative research with respect to replicability.
This is a great qualitative research paper. It sheds light on questionable research practices. But more importantly it demonstrates direct replications in qualitative research work as you would expect: independent teams reach basically the same conclusions royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...
‘Don’t hate the players, hate the game’: qualitative insights from education researchers on questionable and open research practices
Abstract. Both questionable (e.g. p-hacking) and open (e.g. pre-registration) research practices are prevalent in education research. We sought to understa
royalsocietypublishing.org
February 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM
This is a great qualitative research paper. It sheds light on questionable research practices. But more importantly it demonstrates direct replications in qualitative research work as you would expect: independent teams reach basically the same conclusions royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article...
One way to fix the system is to stop submitting low quality work. If your papers are regularly rejected after full review (ignoring desk-rejections) they are of too low for where you are submitting. Work should rarely be rejected after review by peers. If it is, you are doing something wrong.
In the last ten days, I agreed to review 6 manuscripts and declined 5 other. As an editor, I tried not to review more than 2-3 manuscripts a month. Now that I’m on the other side, the enormous challenge in securing reviewers is top of mind. On both sides, it’s clear that the system is very broken.
February 7, 2026 at 4:28 PM
One way to fix the system is to stop submitting low quality work. If your papers are regularly rejected after full review (ignoring desk-rejections) they are of too low for where you are submitting. Work should rarely be rejected after review by peers. If it is, you are doing something wrong.
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
There are so many folks who submit, submit, submit, and always decline reviews. Happy to use the resources for their own gain but unwilling to put in effort themselves. This seems like at least a partially solvable problem.
February 7, 2026 at 4:00 PM
There are so many folks who submit, submit, submit, and always decline reviews. Happy to use the resources for their own gain but unwilling to put in effort themselves. This seems like at least a partially solvable problem.
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
You still have time to sign up for the upcoming workshop of PMGS.
@denolmo.bsky.social will guide you through evaluating and writing high quality preregistration.
See more and sign up here:
paulmeehlschool.github.io/workshops/pr...
@denolmo.bsky.social will guide you through evaluating and writing high quality preregistration.
See more and sign up here:
paulmeehlschool.github.io/workshops/pr...
Preregistration in Practice | Paul Meehl Graduate School
February 19, 2026
paulmeehlschool.github.io
February 6, 2026 at 2:00 PM
You still have time to sign up for the upcoming workshop of PMGS.
@denolmo.bsky.social will guide you through evaluating and writing high quality preregistration.
See more and sign up here:
paulmeehlschool.github.io/workshops/pr...
@denolmo.bsky.social will guide you through evaluating and writing high quality preregistration.
See more and sign up here:
paulmeehlschool.github.io/workshops/pr...
Dunnette, 1966, on our tendency to bury negative results to make our research look better than it is. In 2026, this is a violation of the code of conduct for research integrity in my country, yet it is still common practice. One can only wonder what is needed to finally change this.
February 5, 2026 at 4:19 AM
Dunnette, 1966, on our tendency to bury negative results to make our research look better than it is. In 2026, this is a violation of the code of conduct for research integrity in my country, yet it is still common practice. One can only wonder what is needed to finally change this.
Most researchers are unaware that the concerns about strength of theories, methodology, and lack of generalizability led to a crisis in the 60's and 70's as well. Nothing changed then, and history is a good teacher for why nothing is likely to change this time around doi.org/10.5334/irsp...
Concerns About Theorizing, Relevance, Generalizability, and Methodology Across Two Crises in Social Psychology | International Review of Social Psychology
During two crises in social psychology, the first from the 1960s to the end of the 1970s, and the second starting in 2010 and still ongoing, researchers discussed the strength of theories in the…
doi.org
February 5, 2026 at 4:16 AM
Most researchers are unaware that the concerns about strength of theories, methodology, and lack of generalizability led to a crisis in the 60's and 70's as well. Nothing changed then, and history is a good teacher for why nothing is likely to change this time around doi.org/10.5334/irsp...
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
A very fruitful discussion about concepts and measures. I wish I had heard it before my PhD student submitted her scoping review on what “skills” are…
New episode of Nullius In Verba! We discuss the jingle-jangle fallacy, the problem of vague concepts, how the incentive structures promote vagueness, why people who prefer more rigour have to be called the validity 'police', and much more!
nulliusinverba.podbean.com/e/episode-74...
nulliusinverba.podbean.com/e/episode-74...
Episode 74: Notiones Vague | Nullius in Verba
In this episode, we discuss the problems associated with vague concepts in psychological science. We talk about the jingle-jangle fallacy, the trade-off between broad concepts and more precise…
nulliusinverba.podbean.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:10 PM
A very fruitful discussion about concepts and measures. I wish I had heard it before my PhD student submitted her scoping review on what “skills” are…
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
Hypothetically, the greatest test of an academic’s commitment to the freedom of knowledge is to ask them to sign a pirated pdf of their book.
This is a hypothetical test I have devised and never ever used.
This is a hypothetical test I have devised and never ever used.
Indeed. And further..
EVERYTHING👏DIAMOND👏OPEN👏ACCESS👏OR👏JUST👏FIND👏THE👏PREPRINTS/PIRATE👏IT👏
EVERYTHING👏DIAMOND👏OPEN👏ACCESS👏OR👏JUST👏FIND👏THE👏PREPRINTS/PIRATE👏IT👏
Every now again it’s useful to repeat advice about accessing papers that are behind a paywall that excludes you. Email the author. My estimate is that 90% of academics are so thrilled that a living, breathing, possibly even reading, person shows interest that they will swiftly send you a copy.
August 1, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Hypothetically, the greatest test of an academic’s commitment to the freedom of knowledge is to ask them to sign a pirated pdf of their book.
This is a hypothetical test I have devised and never ever used.
This is a hypothetical test I have devised and never ever used.
Reposted by Daniel Lakens
I wrote a blog for the Meta-Research Center expressing my infinite frustration about not getting data. What else is new, you might think? Well, I added an extra layer of annoyance directed at the journals who do NOTHING to enforce promised data sharing.
metaresearch.nl/blog/2026/2/...
metaresearch.nl/blog/2026/2/...
Promised Data Unavailable? – I’m Sorry, Ma’am, There’s Nothing We Can Do — Meta-Research Center
This blogpost has been written by Michèle Nuijten. Michèle is an assistant professor of our research group who investigates reproducibility and replicability in psychology. Also, she is the developer ...
metaresearch.nl
February 3, 2026 at 3:03 PM
I wrote a blog for the Meta-Research Center expressing my infinite frustration about not getting data. What else is new, you might think? Well, I added an extra layer of annoyance directed at the journals who do NOTHING to enforce promised data sharing.
metaresearch.nl/blog/2026/2/...
metaresearch.nl/blog/2026/2/...