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Methodology and Scientific Competition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2012

Max Albert
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Abstract

Why is the average quality of research in open science so high? The answer seems obvious. Science is highly competitive, and publishing high quality research is the way to rise to the top. Thus, researchers face strong incentives to produce high quality work. However, this is only part of the answer. High quality in science, after all, is what researchers in the relevant field consider to be high quality. Why and how do competing researchers coordinate on common quality standards? I argue that, on the methodological level, science is a dynamic beauty contest.

Type
Research Article
Information
Episteme , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , June 2011 , pp. 165 - 183
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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