Toward an Empirically Robust Science of Human Development

Abstract

Replications and robustness checks are key elements of the scientific method and a staple in many disciplines. My wish is for prioritizing both explicit replications and, especially, the lowest of low-hanging fruit: within-study robustness checks. I provide recommendations for editorial policies that encourage these practices and describe ways of promoting these practices in graduate training. While some of my recommendations might affect the form and substance of developmental research articles, I argue that their scientific benefits are key for advancing the field.

Notes

¹ Although I refer to the field of “human development,” my critique applies to a number of disciplines within the social and behavioral sciences.

² This example is taken from the Table of Contents listing of the American Economic Review—Applied Economics (https://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.6.4), which also provides a link to the authors’ disclosure statement.

Additional information

Funding

The author is grateful to the NSF-supported Center for the Analysis of Pathways from Childhood to Adulthood (Grant No. 0322356) for research support.