REDCap Geek Out!

So the latest thing I'm geeking out about is this free software called REDCap. It looks like the answer to a lot of pesky problems my lab always grapples with, in the areas of data collection and data management. Thanks to Francesca Trane of the UCI Working Memory and Plasticity Lab (P.I. Susanne Jaeggi) for telling us about it. When REDCap changes your life, you can thank Francesca. (And Vanderbilt.) (And the NIH.)

Why I Love Bayesian Statistics for Developmental Research

"Have you heard about Bayesian statistics?"

Let's start by acknowledging one thing: People who say you should use Bayesian statistics are super annoying. The first few times some guy at a conference told me I should really be using Bayesian methods, I treated him like a Jehovah's Witness handing me a copy of The Watch Tower. "I'll think about it," I'd say, and mentally slam the door in his face.

The Real Barrier to Registered Reports

Figure showing a range of problems (in red) that are addressed by Registered Reports

Registered reports (RRs) are a way of doing science where researchers submit their introduction and method sections (including a detailed plan for data collection and analysis) and pilot data (if any), for peer review before they start collecting the actual study data. Authors get feedback from expert reviewers on whether the question is interesting and well-grounded in the literature, and on whether the methods make sense. The reviewers check that the study will have enough power, that the statistical analyses are the right ones to use, and so forth. Sort of like how a grant proposal would be reviewed, if reviewers had the time and expertise to go through all the methods in detail.

Simonton's Equal-Odds Rule

Dean Simonton studies intelligence, creativity, talent and genius. He has spent a few decades trying to predict which scientists are likely to produce great work, and when in their careers they are most likely to produce it.

International Open Access Week 2017

Most scientific research in the U.S. is paid for by public dollars, so it's only fair that the results should be freely available to the public. In the days before the internet, scientists and students at less-wealthy institutions or in less-wealthy countries (and anyone who was not affiliated with a university) had very limited access to the scientific literature. With the internet, those days are over... or at least they should be.