1. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Replication = Ethics? Richard Anderson Areerat Kichkha Lindenwood University Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016

2. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Why Do We Care About Replication? Quality control Detect errors or fraud Scientific integrity Good science demands that others fully understand and reproduce research Ethics Ethical standards require assisting other researchers to understand your work

3. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Individual Researchers vs the Market in Ideas Profit-maximizing researchers have motivation to reveal only enough to achieve publication. Authors retain research methods (data, programs) because of the option value of potentially using them for another project. The option value is smaller when the author is more creative (reduced by likelihood of significant new ideas) Replication is more difficult => But why doesn’t the market solve this problem? => Is there “market failure” here?

4. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Ethics and Replication Are ethics ever enforced by the market in ideas? Is there stigma and exclusion when a person practices unethical behavior? Ethical behavior in litigation (expert testimony) Ethical behavior in research Scientifically “objective” Culturally neutral Honest in published results Is it that true that most economics professionals do not care about ethical behavior?

5. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Ethics and Research Response to 1986 publication of Dewald, Thursby and Anderson (AER, 1986) Experiments suggested that most authors could not furnish replicable materials after a short lag beyond research completion But authors could usually furnish material is asked promptly at completion A significant number of authors refused to share replicable materials AEA editorial board immediately introduced a policy to require submission of data and programs

6. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Ethics and Research (cont’d) Other journals followed the AEA Later, some journals made submission optional Most dropped requirement for programs Does lack of programs make data useless? Exception: J. of Applied Econometrics What is the state of replication 30 years after Dewald et al? Poor: Many journals do not require data Few journals require (or even will handle) programs

7. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Ethics and Research (cont’d) Why do many economists oppose replication? Discovery of errors Theft/misuse of “intellectual property” False accusations of error harm reputation “Too much trouble” Which economists support replication? What ties together these folks? Scientific standards? Discovery of error? Ethics? Essential question to move forward

8. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 How Do We Introduce Ethics into Replication and Publishing? A Proposal: “Replication Auditing” Create a system wherein any author can privately/confidentially ask another researcher to audit his work Negative findings would be returned to author Positive findings might be attached to manuscript/article. Who sponsors? Who requires? => Refereeing now is a difficult process

9. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Summary Ethics = Replication The most important role of replication is to introduce ethical standards into economic research. The replication community + AIRLEAP likely is the best way forward.

10. Replication & EthicsAnderson & KichkhaJanuary 2016 Open Discussion