Replication
Definition
Replication is the process of repeating a study using the same methods to determine whether the original findings can be reproduced. Successful replication strengthens confidence that results reflect real effects rather than chance, error, or bias.
Correct Scientific Usage
Scientists distinguish between direct replication (closely matching the original study design and methods) and conceptual replication (testing the same hypothesis using different approaches or populations).
Successful replication strengthens confidence that findings represent genuine effects rather than artifacts of the original sample or conditions. Researchers recognize that replication attempts may yield different results for valid reasons, not just because the original was wrong.
Common Misunderstandings
Replication is often confused with reproducibility. Reproducibility means getting the same results from the same data; replication means getting consistent findings when collecting new data.
Additionally, a single failed replication does not definitively refute original findings, just as a single successful replication does not prove findings are universally true.
Why It Matters
Replication is fundamental to building reliable scientific knowledge. It reveals which findings are robust enough to withstand independent testing and which were likely false positives, statistical flukes, or context-specific results. Understanding replication helps explain why individual studies, no matter how well-designed, should not be treated as definitive.
References
- Replicability, Robustness, and Reproducibility in Psychological Science, Annual Review of Psychology
- Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science, Science