Replication of Bersani and Doherty 2013
Publication id: shakya-2020-score-bersani-doherty-replication
Status: verified
Citation: Shakya, S. & Sevigny, E. (2020). Replication of a research claim from Bersani and Doherty (2013). Center for Open Science, Systematizing Confidence in Open Research and Evidence (SCORE) Project. Download
Facts¶
Policy hook¶
Replication studies are crucial for science credibility, but how often do published findings hold up under replication? Can researchers reproduce a specific empirical claim from prior criminology research?
Main finding¶
Structured replication attempt of Bersani and Doherty (2013) research through the Systematizing Confidence in Open Research and Evidence (SCORE) project examines the robustness of original claims.
Data and setting¶
Replication study coordinated through Center for Open Science SCORE Project, attempting to reproduce research claim from Bersani and Doherty (2013) in criminology.
Research design (plain language)¶
Systematic replication protocol applied to test whether original research results can be reproduced using similar or identical methodology with independent samples.
One caveat¶
Replication outcomes depend heavily on exact protocol adherence and data availability; negative results may reflect implementation differences rather than true non-replicability.
PDF or DOI¶
Why it matters¶
Criminology is a policy-relevant discipline: conclusions inform crime prevention and law enforcement. But do empirical claims replicate? This SCORE replication tests a published criminology result, contributing to broader efforts to assess which crime research findings are robust. For criminologists, replication results (whether positive or negative) improve the field’s self-correction mechanisms. For policymakers, replication outcomes inform confidence in evidence: results that don’t replicate shouldn’t drive policy, while robust replications validate evidence-based approaches. The SCORE project is important because systematic replication is rare; most published research never undergoes external replication. By documenting what does and doesn’t replicate, SCORE helps policymakers distinguish reliable findings from likely false positives. For this specific criminology claim, the replication outcome contributes to cumulative evidence in the field. Negative results don’t discredit the original authors—implementation differences or data differences can explain failures—but they signal caution about generalizing findings.