The invisible science: why researchers do not publish their negative results?

• Autor(a) principal: Sayão, Luís Fernando
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Sales, Luana Farias
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Informação & Informação
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/informacao/article/view/40016
• topic: Negative result; Scientific journal; Scientific communication; Invisible science; Resultado negativo; Revista científica; Comunicación científica; Ciencia invisible; Resultado negativo; Periódicos científicos; Comunicação científica; Ciência invisível

Introduction: The results of scientific research considered negative - unconfirmed hypotheses, unexpected data, inconclusive experiments and more - are always present in the flows of scientific knowledge construction, constituting an essential component for the more comprehensive and integral vision of the multiple faces of the laboratory routine. Furthermore, it is these studies that refute current ideas and consolidated hypotheses that advance science. However, negative studies do not find a high-impact formal publication medium and are not fully valued in the scientific environment and by its institutions. There are many barriers to not publishing and sharing these results. Objective: Trying to understand this phenomenon, the present study, through the observation of the scarce literature in the area, analyzes the main causes of the invisibility of negative studies. Methodology: Based on exploratory and qualitative research, the search and analysis of the scarce literature on the subject is adopted as a methodological resource, investigating and systematizing the main causes of the invisibility of negative studies. Results: As a result, the following barriers are identified and systematized: contextual, cognitive, professional, organizational and editorial. Conclusion: It is concluded that although there is a movement around the creation of journals and other platforms dedicated to negative results, these information assets still need to be valued and integrated to the scientific communication flows, providing a greater visibility to non-confirmatory studies.