Embracing Failure: How the Journal of Trial and Error is Revolutionizing Scientific Research Publications

The Journal of Trial and Error is on a mission to change the way scientific research and publishing view negative results. Researchers often focus on positive outcomes, where their hypothesis is proven true, leaving negative results unpublished due to a lack of incentives. This bias could be hindering scientific progress and breakthroughs.

Dr. Sarahanne Field, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Trial and Error and an assistant professor in behavioral and social sciences at the University of Groningen, shares her insights on the importance of recognizing and publishing negative results in scientific research. She explains that this can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the scientific process.

Guest host Anna Rothschild interviews Dr. Field about the journal’s approach to publishing negative results, which aims to shift the perception of failure within the scientific community. By doing so, the journal hopes to strengthen science as a whole. The conversation highlights the need for researchers and publishers to recognize that failure is an essential part of the scientific process and should not be stigmatized or ignored.