Researcher Preferences and Research Findings

Empirical research produces findings that are influenced by the preferences of the researchers. Researchers choose their research question, how they collect or manipulate data and which models they employ. Every decision is an opportunity for a researcher’s preferences to enter the research production function. Recent ‘many analysts’ studies shed light on this phenomenon whereby researchers given the same data to test the same hypothesis arrive at different results. This chapter reviews types of bias in the research process stemming from researchers’ preferences. For example, desires, prior worldviews, motives, ideologies and learned behaviors can all influence the rational pursuit of knowledge. Some preferences are incentivized in the competitive academic market for science others stem from political motives. The process is complex as different preferences can interact with one another in the research process. The chapter concludes with recommendations for consumers of research findings and institutions of science.