Misalignment between research hypotheses and statistical hypotheses – A threat to evidence-based medicine?

Insa Lawler (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro)

Statistical reasoning pervades experimental research, but how to apply it is a longstanding issue of debate in philosophy and science. Recent studies that reveal ahigh prevalence of errorandlack of reproducibilityin published research highlight the urgency of developing sound foundations of statistical reasoning, and finding techniques for detecting and correcting scientific error. So much the more as scientific error undermines the epistemic authority of science, and the degree to which policy-makers trust scientific experts.

The conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in issues of statistical reasoning and scientific error. It focuses on the foundations of statistical inference, how statistical reasoning is applied in the sciences, how statistical inference can correct scientific error and which proposals for reforming scientific method (including restructuring the peer review and publication system) can increase the reliability of published research.

The conference is a joint event of the Munich-Sydney-Turin conference series in philosophy of science and the workshop series “Perspectives on Scientific Error”.

Statistical reasoning pervades experimental research, but how to apply it is a longstanding issue of debate in philosophy and science. Recent studies that reveal ahigh prevalence of errorandlack of reproducibilityin published research highlight the urgency of developing sound foundations of statistical reasoning, and finding techniques for detecting and correcting scientific error. So much the more as scientific error undermines the epistemic authority of science, and the degree to which policy-makers trust scientific experts.

The conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers interested in issues of statistical reasoning and scientific error. It focuses on the foundations of statistical inference, how statistical reasoning is applied in the sciences, how statistical inference can correct scientific error and which proposals for reforming scientific method (including restructuring the peer review and publication system) can increase the reliability of published research.

The conference is a joint event of the Munich-Sydney-Turin conference series in philosophy of science and the workshop series “Perspectives on Scientific Error”. Previous editions of these workshops can be consultedhere(PSE1, Tilburg 2017) andhere(PSE2, Groningen 2018).