"Each year, every laboratory produces a new crop of Ph.D.’s, who must compete for a small number of jobs, and the competition is getting fiercer. In 1973, more than half of biologists had a tenure-track job within six years of getting a Ph.D. By 2006 the figure was down to 15 percent."
I would claim that science requires some basic integrity in its practitioners and if an institution is treating it's members as so many throw-away resources, it is hard to expect those members to move ahead with great idealism. The model of every desperate competitor watching every other competitor seems to be the replacement for model of science as a high ideal. I don't see it working out well.
It's true the issue of reproducibility in research is a complex one, with many underlying factors. Culture, misaligned incentives, and lack of resources play strong roles.
We believe however our Initiative can help in laying an initial framework for how one can possibly address aspects of the problem. We've tried to build incentives (ease of outsourcing, rewarding publications) that factor into this issue, and can assist in improving outcomes. But we definitely agree that a holistic solution will require further changes to the academic research infrastructure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/science/rise-in-scientific... and other articles.
"Each year, every laboratory produces a new crop of Ph.D.’s, who must compete for a small number of jobs, and the competition is getting fiercer. In 1973, more than half of biologists had a tenure-track job within six years of getting a Ph.D. By 2006 the figure was down to 15 percent."
I would claim that science requires some basic integrity in its practitioners and if an institution is treating it's members as so many throw-away resources, it is hard to expect those members to move ahead with great idealism. The model of every desperate competitor watching every other competitor seems to be the replacement for model of science as a high ideal. I don't see it working out well.