What is critical metascience and why is it important?

2026/07/02 by Mark Rubin
Decision Sciences · Arts and Humanities · Health Professions · #Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration #Philosophy and History of Science #Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions

paper · pdf · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1860740

Abstract

Metascience uses a scientific approach to understand and improve science. Critical metascience takes a step back to question metascience's common assumptions, methods, problems, and solutions. In this article, I aim to raise the profile of critical metascience and offer a rationale for viewing it as a distinct area of multidisciplinary inquiry. I define critical metascience, explain why it is important, and address some potential concerns about it. I also consider some emerging themes in the area and evaluate its potential relationships with metascience. I conclude that there needs to be greater recognition of critical metascience and greater interaction between metascience and critical metascience in order to improve metascience's objectivity and approach.

Citations

• A manifesto for reproducible science
• The past, present and future of Registered Reports
• Exploratory hypothesis tests can be more compelling than confirmatory hypothesis tests
• Reducing bias, increasing transparency and calibrating confidence with preregistration
• Bestiary of Questionable Research Practices in Psychology
• Science becomes trustworthy by constantly questioning itself
• The Difference Between "Replicable" and "Not replicable" is not Itself Scientifically Replicable
• The Recurrence of Fundamental Questions: A Historical and Philosophical Analysis of Major Disciplinary Crises in Psychology
• The replication crisis is less of a “crisis” in Lakatos’ philosophy of science than it is in Popper’s
• Is replication possible in qualitative research? A response to Makel et al. (2022)
• Is N-Hacking Ever OK? The consequences of collecting more data in pursuit of statistical significance
• Open Science and Epistemic Diversity: Friends or Foes?
• Metascience as a Scientific Social Movement
• How Computational Modeling Can Force Theory Building in Psychological Science

Related

• An Introduction to Metascience
• Is Research Software Science a Metascience?
• Feminist Metascience, Feminist Open Science? Pain Points and Possibilities
• Metascience Is Not Enough – A Plea for Psychological Humanities in the Wake of the Replication Crisis
• Two Types of Naturalism and the Metaphysics of Science