Question 1 of 5

What’s the main way researchers advance scientific knowledge?

• They memorize facts from textbooks.
• They ask questions and test their ideas with observations and experiments. Then, they redo their studies (or see if others can) and see if the results are the same.

School and books can teach you to be a good scientist, but building new scientific knowledge takes well-designed studies—and lots of them!

Question 2 of 5

How can you tell if the results from a scientific study are strong?

• An important scientist expresses confidence in the study’s results.
• The study comes to the same conclusion as multiple previous studies by different scientists.
• If it is the newest study, it is the most accurate.

It’s best to see if multiple studies point to the same conclusions. If multiple scientists perform multiple studies and get similar results, we can be more confident that the studies are providing the correct answer.

Question 3 of 5

A study is reproducible when scientists are able to use the exact same data and computer code to get the same results (as defined in the report, Reproducibility & Replicability in Science). Why is it important to make sure studies are reproducible?

• It helps scientists verify that a study’s analysis is valid
• It helps other scientists use the work as a stepping stone for future studies
• Both a and b
• None of the above

Reproducibility helps scientists verify that a study’s analysis is valid, and it also helps other scientists use the work as a stepping stone for future studies. Reproducibility is a hallmark of good science.

Question 4 of 5

Replicability is when scientists repeat a study using similar methods, collect new data, and get similar results (as defined in the report, Reproducibility & Replicability in Science). Why is replicability important for science?

• It helps build confidence in a body of knowledge
• It helps scientists get credit for their work
• It helps scientists get more funding for their work

The main reason replicability is important is that it builds confidence in a body of knowledge. When many studies come to similar conclusions, we can be more confident that those conclusions are right. This can lead to scientific consensus and help build knowledge.

Question 5 of 5

What does it mean if two studies disagree?

• One of them is wrong. Ignore the one that is older.
• It’s useful to find out why. This can help improve scientific methods and even lead to new discoveries.

There are many reasons why studies disagree, and it doesn’t always mean that either study is wrong. Finding out why studies disagree can help improve scientific methods and even lead to new discoveries.