Negative but useful

2003/06/15 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Bibliografia

If they do not contradict a very strong conviction, the editors of the journals do not take into account the investigations that say that something does not happen.

If negative results are not published almost never, it is logical to think that the same research path would be tested more than once in more than one laboratory. There is no concrete data because so far little attention has been paid to the issue, but it seems logical. This is believed by at least several scientists, so in recent years journals have been created to publish these results.

One of the most recent is the Journal of Negative Result in Biomedicine, a negative biomedical research journal. It was born last year and is published on-line through the BioMed Central group. Since November 11 articles have been received and two have been published. Not much, but good.

The journal admits all kinds of research. Both the results of clinical sessions and the research that a reagent does not work as it says. Only one limit applies to them: the results must be repeatable. That is, it works like any scientific journal.

Fundamental in biomedicine

Researchers prefer to address more than writing an article about negative results.

The diffusion of negative research is beneficial for all areas of science, but it seems that in some areas it feels more urgent than in others. One of them is biomedicine and proof of this is the newly created journal. After the research of the genome, research has proliferated trying to link genes and diseases.

Researchers analyze thousands of genetic traits and thousands of people to see if some genetic characteristics are inherited with diseases. Subsequently, if it is concluded that there is no link, in many cases the data is lost because they are not published. And the one who comes from behind takes the sieve and picks up again all the rock feces that before another discarded, waiting for the gold to appear.

In 1997 the editors of the Journal of Universal Computer Science announced a new section, the negative results forum. However, the same article has not been received in six years.

Something similar happens in animal research. Two years ago, the British commission authorizing these investigations made public its concern that the researchers were conducting the same investigations that had failed in other laboratories. It was then proposed that the licensing office take action: that if the license was to be obtained, it was mandatory to report negative results. But those in the office did not want to take over the issue, because the publication of the results of the investigations is not governmental work and the issue was suspended.

Another very unsuccessful project was launched by the Journal of Universal Computer Science. In 1997 the journal's editors announced a new section, the negative results forum. According to the editors of the journal, having not published wrong solutions to problems, interesting information about computer engineering was also lost. But it seems that researchers don't think the same way, as they haven't sent them a single article for six years.

Don't think there is no communication between scientists. Not publishing it does not mean that the information is not disseminated. Journals are not the only source of information from researchers and among scientists, as in many places, many things are known orally. However, establishing a standardized path would not be a bad idea if it would save time and sterile efforts. Now you have to invent the formula.

How to post negative results?

While it is interesting to report negative results, it is necessary to analyze how to publish them. And it is not possible to publish all as traditional articles. Too many, researchers will not write these articles and journals are immersed in the race to publish high-impact research.

It seems that the solution will be Internet. Some experts propose the creation of databases that collect brief and schematic information and collect negative results in them. But the database does not guarantee the information. Six years ago, a journal that publishes negative research related to cancer and genetics did something similar and very few have submitted information.

Faced with this, some scientists have proposed drastic measures: that the communication of negative results is an indispensable requirement for the publication of an article. Others, however, have followed the path of awareness.

Published in 7K.