Replication of the natural selection of bad science

Abstract

This study reports an independent replication of the findings presented by Smaldino and McElreath (Smaldino, McElreath 2016 R. Soc. Open Sci. 3 , 160384 ( doi:10.1098/rsos.160384 )). The replication was successful with one exception. We find that selection acting on scientist’s propensity for replication frequency caused a brief period of exuberant replication not observed in the original paper due to a coding error. This difference does not, however, change the authors’ original conclusions. We call for more replication studies for simulations as unique contributions to scientific quality assurance.