'Conditional Concession Rate': New Metric Shows Only 7% of Authors Admit Errors
RexDouglass · x · 2026-08-02
The post introduces a new metric called the Conditional Concession Rate, designed to measure the scientific validity and rigor of a research field. It is defined as the probability that an author publicly withdraws or materially narrows their claim, given that the critique is correct, important, and has reached the author.
The author argues that if researchers never concede to valid criticisms, the field lacks falsifiability. Citing what appears to be the only study on this topic, the current concession rate stands at just 7%.
Related event: Scholars Propose 'Conditional Concession Rate' to Measure Academic Rigor(2 posts)→
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