Topic 1. Is replicability necessary in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to two
areas of knowledge.
Replicability refers to the ability to recreate an experiment or an observation under the
same environment and conditions, whilst obtaining consistent results. Replicability is
vital for the process of the production of knowledge to prove the validity of knowledge and
information as it helps validate correlation. When an observation can be replicated, it indicates
that there is likely a factor that is affecting the dependent variable. It also allows for other
researchers to also recreate the experiment and to obtain similar results. It also allowed other
researchers to verify a finding and even build upon it. In natural sciences, it is a key component
of the scientific method, because it allows for the isolation of an independent variable and to
measure its effect on the dependent variable. On the other hand, it is more difficult to control
variables in human sciences as human behavior is spontaneous and can oftentimes be
unpredictable. This essay will discuss and establish the necessity of replicability in the
production of knowledge by examining its importance in natural and human sciences.
Firstly, there are 4 main types of replicability: Conceptual replicability, statistical
replicability, methodological replicability and practical replicability. Conceptual replicability
refers to the replication of concepts and theories that can be used in a study. It refers to the ability
to recreate conceptual frameworks and theories. Statistical replicability refers to ability to
reproduce certain statistics. It allows for researchers to review statistical calculations and look at
the variation in results arising from the various trials. Methodological replicability refers to the
ability to replicate the methods and procedures used in a given study. It refers to the ability of
obtaining the same results if the methodology is replicated. Finally, practical replicability refers
to the ability to apply the results and findings of a study in a real-life situation. As research is
often completed in a controlled environment, it is also necessary to be able to apply the finding
to a real-life situation. The importance of the aforementioned 4 types of replicability will all be
discussed in reference to the natural sciences and the human sciences.
Replicability is vital in the production of knowledge in natural sciences because it helps
isolate a variable and determine the effect of the given variable and the effect of its change. This
is done to ensure that the results of the experiment are caused by the independent variable and
not by pure chance. Without replicability, the observations and findings are not validated as it is
difficult to establish and create a consensus on the validity of a new scientific finding.
Replicability is also vital, as it helps reduce errors and flaws in certain parts of the experimental
design, data analysis or the interpretation of results. The scientific community can utilize their
collective wisdom and recreate the observation or finding to reduce discrepancies from the
results in the original study. It is important that the experiment is and can be recreated by other
scientists as there may be human errors, or a type of implicit bias caused by other scientists. If a
study or discovery is unable to be replicated, it raises doubts about the validity of the finding.
Encouraging researchers to critically evaluate their methodologies, which altogether creates
better experimental methodologies and design and thus more accurate and reliable results.
Furthermore, observations in natural sciences are usually created in a controlled
environment, such as a laboratory. Practical replication is vital to increase the validity of the
knowledge produced in a laboratory into a real-life situation.
In human sciences, replicability is also crucial, but is much more difficult to achieve because of
the complexity and unpredictability of humans and the many other factors involved. Even with
the complexities and complications of replication, replicability still is the crucial aspect of the
production of knowledge. Similar to the production of knowledge in the natural sciences, it also
helps establish validity and create more reliable findings and discoveries. If the observation can
be replicated, Additionally, natural sciences often involve the interpretation of subjective data,
such as interviews or from self reported measures. Replication allows for the mitigation of
counteracting bias
To conclude, replicability is a vital part of the scientific method and is fundamental in the
production of knowledge in both natural and human sciences. It allows for scientific
communities to form more valid, reliable and helps generalize information and new knowledge.
By allowing for replication from multiple individuals, the likelihood of errors decreases and
scientists can also verify the hypotheses and allow them to build a consensus on the results of the
scientific finding. While there are multiple challenges while applying replicability to human
sciences, the basis of discoveries and findings are still based upon it. All in all, replicability
allows for the production of knowledge that is more reliable, and allows other members of the
knowledge communities to validate and build upon discoveries and findings.