For several years, many researchers have begun to recognize the value of negative results in scientific publications. "For a variety of reasons, positive publication bias is a real phenomenon," says Retraction Watch's Ivan Oransky. "In clinical medicine, that can paint a more optimistic picture of a field than is actually the case. And in basic science, it can mean other scientists may repeat experiments that have already failed."
So BioFlukes, a publisher based in Bangalore, India, has decided to help remedy the situation. The company has announced that it will launch a new publication called the Journal of Errology — "a home for experiments that didn't work out," Oransky says. This way, researchers can publish negative results without any stigma attached. BioFlukes spokesman, Mahboob Imtiyaz, says the journal is meant to be a place where researchers can share their experiences with the community, and where scientists can learn from each other's mistakes.
BioFlukes still has a lot of work to do, Oransky says. They need to find an editor in chief, and don't yet have a solid date for launching the journal. But they've already begun to accept submissions, and Imtiyaz says researchers seem enthusiastic about the idea.