Reproducibility in Biomedical Research: Epistemological and Statistical Problems

Reproducibility in Biomedical Research: Epistemological and Statistical Problems explores the ideas and conundrums inherent in scientific research. It explores factors of reproducibility, including logic, distinguishing productive from unproductive irreproducibility, the scientific method, and the use of statistics. In multiple examples and six detailed case studies, the book demonstrates the misuse of logic resulting in unproductive irreproducibility, allowing researchers to develop their own logic and planning abilities. Biomedical researchers, clinicians, administrators of scientific institutions and funding agencies, journal editors, philosophers of science and medicine will find the arguments and explorations a valuable addition to their libraries.

Considers the meaning and purpose of reproducibility to help design researchReviews famous case studies of alleged irreproducibility to determine if these could be reproducibleProvides a theoretical aspect to practical issues surrounding research design and conduct

1. Introduction 2. Validity of Biomedical Science, Reproducibility and Irreproducibility 3. The Logic of Certainty versus the Logic of Discovery 4. The Logic of Probability and Statistics 5. Causation, Process Metaphor, and Reductionism 6. Case Studies in Clinical Biomedical Research 7. Case Studies in Basic Biomedical Research 8. Case Studies in Computational Biomedical Research 9. Chaotic and Complex Systems, Statistics, and Far-from-Equilibrium Thermodynamics 10. Epilogue