Encouraging researchers to take risks may benefit scientific progress
September 13, 2024 09:31 Source: "Chinese Social Sciences Journal" Issue 2977, September 13, 2024 Author: Lian Zhixian/Compiled

  bet365 best casino games Scientific research is an undertaking full of risks,Every experiment、Analysis means embarking on an uncertain path、A road that may end in a dead end。In fact,Not all projects are equally risky,When choosing work content,Scholars can choose high-risk or low-risk projects。High risk projects can bring high returns,Most of the greater progress in science comes from high-risk projects,Researchers will also receive corresponding rewards and honors。

Scientific research requires taking risks,If you are always cautious and conservative,Then the development speed of science will be very slow。However,Many funded bet365 live casino games researchers tend to play it safe;Meanwhile,Funding agencies are complaining about high risks、High-return projects have difficulty attracting researchers。Why researchers shy away from high-risk research projects that may yield greater scholarly output?Why existing incentive mechanisms fail to encourage researchers to conduct riskier research?Professor Kevin Gross of the Department of Statistics at North Carolina State University and Professor Carl Bergstrom of the Department of Biology at the University of Washington conducted research on this。They used mathematical models to explore risk、The impact of unknowability of effort and outcome on high-risk research。The so-called unknowability,That is, scholars’ efforts or risks taken in research cannot directly bring rewards,They can only receive rewards for their bet365 best casino games own research results,However,The uncertainty of scientific research means that the productivity of researchers can only be stochastically related to the effort they expend and the risks they take。Therefore,When deciding how much effort to exert and how much risk to take,Researchers must weigh the likelihood of successful discovery and acclaim against the likelihood of project failure,Otherwise their efforts will be in vain。

According to Gross and Bergstrom,Those researchers who are adventurous and make scientific discoveries through their own efforts should be rewarded,At the same time, the livelihood of researchers must be protected from the contingency of scientific research output。However,The challenge with this is,There is a conflict between the incentive mechanisms of effort and risk-taking,Because if a project fails,Maybe because the risk Bet365 app download and difficulty are too high,Despite the efforts of adventurous researchers there has been no success,It may also be because the researchers did not make enough efforts。The above factors lead researchers to tend to choose safe and secure projects,Although these projects do not advance science as quickly as high-risk projects,But it can prove that they put in the effort。

If in importance ranking,Put the ability to produce scientific research results before the well-being of researchers,Then providing generous enough rewards for major scientific discoveries can encourage researchers to conduct high-risk research,But doing so puts researchers’ livelihoods at risk,Ultimately worsening their living conditions。Since academic research institutions are generally autonomously managed、Develop your own incentive mechanism,The Bet365 app download incentives currently in place are insufficient for researchers to proactively take risks,Thus losing the best motivation to accelerate scientific progress。

Proposed by Gross and Bergstrom,When developing a scientific research incentive program,Academia must face reality,Recognize that reward programs that encourage hard work inherently discourage researchers from pursuing high-risk research topics,Vice versa。Academia needs to motivate researchers to put in their efforts,Encourage them to take risks。

Gross and Bergstrom said,Some critics complain about the lack of high stakes in academia、High return research project,And believe that this situation is the fault of the institution or individual。But research shows,That’s not the case,Scholars who don’t want to risk their careers will choose more conservative programs。

(Lian Zhixian/Compiled)

Editor: Zhang Jing
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