1.24. Replication in Science http://www.ck12.org
FIGURE 1.26
This child is receiving a vaccine.Soon after the original study was published, other researchers tried to replicate the research. However, it could not
be replicated. No other studies could find a link between the vaccine and autism. As a result, scientists became
convinced that the original results were incorrect. Eventually, investigators determined that the original study was
a fraud. They learned that its author had received a large amount of money to find evidence that the vaccine causes
autism, so he faked his research results. If other scientists had not tried to replicate the research, the truth might
never have come out. You can read more about this case at the URL below.
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/autism/2011-01-06-autism06_ST_N.htm
Summary
- Getting the same result when an experiment is repeated is called replication. If research results can be
replicated, it means they are more likely to be correct. - Replication is important in science so scientists can “check their work.” The result of an investigation is
not likely to be well accepted unless the investigation is repeated many times and the same result is always
obtained.
Vocabulary
- replication: Getting the same results when an investigation is repeated.
Explore More
Scientists often repeat their own experiments to see if they can replicate the result. These repeated experiments are
called trials. At the following URL, read about the repeated trials in an investigation involving crows. Be sure to
watch the movies showing the crows during different trials. After reading the article and seeing the movies, answer
the questions below.
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~kgroup/tools/tool_manufacture.shtml
- Why were repeated trials done in this experiment?
- Why might other researchers in other labs try to replicate the results?