TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of hypotheses in biomechanical research
AU - ROWBOTTOM, Darrell Patrick
AU - ALEXANDER, R McNeill
PY - 2012/6/1
Y1 - 2012/6/1
N2 - This paper investigates whether there is a discrepancy between stated and actual aims in biomechanical research, particularly with respect to hypothesis testing. We present an analysis of one hundred papers recently published in The Journal of Experimental Biology and Journal of Biomechanics, and examine the prevalence of papers which (a) have hypothesis testing as a stated aim, (b) contain hypothesis testing claims that appear to be purely presentational (i.e. which seem not to have influenced the actual study), and (c) have exploration as a stated aim. We found that whereas no papers had exploration as a stated aim, 58 per cent of papers had hypothesis testing as a stated aim. We had strong suspicions, at the bare minimum, that presentational hypotheses were present in 31 per cent of the papers in this latter group.
AB - This paper investigates whether there is a discrepancy between stated and actual aims in biomechanical research, particularly with respect to hypothesis testing. We present an analysis of one hundred papers recently published in The Journal of Experimental Biology and Journal of Biomechanics, and examine the prevalence of papers which (a) have hypothesis testing as a stated aim, (b) contain hypothesis testing claims that appear to be purely presentational (i.e. which seem not to have influenced the actual study), and (c) have exploration as a stated aim. We found that whereas no papers had exploration as a stated aim, 58 per cent of papers had hypothesis testing as a stated aim. We had strong suspicions, at the bare minimum, that presentational hypotheses were present in 31 per cent of the papers in this latter group.
UR - http://commons.ln.edu.hk/sw_master/708
U2 - 10.1017/S0269889712000051
DO - 10.1017/S0269889712000051
M3 - Journal Article (refereed)
SN - 0269-8897
VL - 25
SP - 247
EP - 262
JO - Science in Context
JF - Science in Context
IS - 2
ER -