Why Publish Negative Data? Perspective from a Journal Editor
R3 — Enhancing Scientific Rigor, Reproducibility, and Reporting Talk Series
Event Details
- Type
- Other Meetings
- Speaker(s)
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Timothy Fessenden, Ph.D., executive editor, Life Science Alliance, Rockefeller University Press
- Speaker bio(s)
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Abstract
The under-publication of negative or null results is a growing phenomenon in modern scientific research. Starting with a working definition of negative data, this talk will examine the importance of communicating these findings to the research enterprise, including their implications for research rigor, reproducibility, and efficiency. Tim will offer the perspective of a journal editor on publishing negative results and discuss peer evaluation of negative data, highlighting recently published examples in Life Science Alliance.
Speaker Bio
Tim Fessenden received his PhD from the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Margaret Gardel, for his work on the cytoskeletal regulation of multicellular invasion. He then moved to MIT where he completed postdoctoral studies with Stefani Spranger on tumor immunology with a focus on dendritic cells. Tim joined Rockefeller University Press as a Scientific Editor with Journal of Cell Biology in 2021. In March of 2025 he was appointed to lead Life Science Alliance (LSA) as its Executive Editor. LSA is jointly owned and operated by Rockefeller University Press, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, and EMBO Press.
- Open to
- Tri-Institutional