How to Identify and How to Conduct Research that Is Informative and Reproducible

Abstract

The expectations that PhD students face in the social sciences have been increasing steadily. At the same time, the behavioral and social sciences have faced a substantial turmoil questioning the reproducibility of research findings and the way how researchers should perform research. In the present chapter, we provide guidance on possible ways how PhD students can make sense of this turmoil or “sail from the seas of chaos into the corridors of stability” (Lakens & Evers, 2014). We review recent developments in the social sciences, provide information about tools and methods to evaluate the validity and quality of published research, and offer suggestions on different ways to enhance the informational value of one’s own research by focusing on aspects such as preregistrations, power and accuracy, effect sizes, open science, replications, and underused methodological techniques such as Bayesian inference. These tools and suggestions cannot replace a good theory or reliable and valid measurement tools, but they can be a first step towards more informative and reproducible social sciences.