CARKing

Last updated on Feb 18, 2026
Also available in: Arabic
 

Definition: Critiquing After the Results are Known (CARKing) refers to presenting a criticism of a design as one that you would have made in advance of the results being known. It usually forms a reaction or criticism to unwelcome or unfavourable results, results whether the critic is conscious of this fact or not.

Related terms: HARKing, Preregistration, Registered Report

References:

  • Bardsley, N. (2018). What lessons does the “replication crisis” in psychology hold for experimental economics? In Handbook of Psychology and Economic Behaviour, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/69874/
  • Nosek, B. A., & Lakens, D. (2014). Registered reports. Social Psychology, 45, 137–141. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000192

Originally drafted by: Mahmoud Elsherif

Reviewed by: Ali H. Al-Hoorie, Ashley Blake, Adrien Fillon, Charlotte R. Pennington