Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Blind analysis: Hide results to seek the truth

More fields should, like particle physics, adopt blind analysis to thwart bias, urge Robert MacCoun and Saul Perlmutter.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Feynman, R. P. Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (W. W. Norton, 1985).

  2. Klein, J. R. & Roodman, A. Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 55, 141–163 (2005).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Conley, A. et al. Astrophys. J. 644, 1–20 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Miller, L. E. & Stewart, M. E. Contem. Clin. Trials 32, 240–243 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. MacCoun, R. J. Annu. Rev. Psychol. 49, 259–287 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Miguel, E. et al. Science 343, 30–31 (2014).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Meinert, C. L. N. Engl. J. Med. 338, 1381–1382 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kaplan, R. M. & Irvin, V. L. PLoS ONE 10, e0132382 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Lord, C. G., Lepper, M. R. & Preston, E. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 47, 1231–1243 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Simonton, D. K. Rev. Gen. Psychol. 15, 158–174 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Robert MacCoun or Saul Perlmutter.

Additional information

See Editorial P.163, Features P.178 & P.182, and Comment P.189.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Robust research: Institutions must do their part for reproducibility 2015-Sep-01

Over half of psychology studies fail reproducibility test 2015-Aug-27

First results from psychology’s largest reproducibility test 2015-Apr-30

Scientific method: Statistical errors 2014-Feb-12

Reproducibility: The risks of the replication drive 2013-Nov-20

Weak statistical standards implicated in scientific irreproducibility 2013-Nov-11

Nature special: Challenges in irreproducible research

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

MacCoun, R., Perlmutter, S. Blind analysis: Hide results to seek the truth. Nature 526, 187–189 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/526187a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/526187a

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Careers

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Careers newsletter — what matters in careers research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Careers