HARKing
Definition
A questionable research practice termed ‘Hypothesizing After the Results are Known’ (HARKing). “HARKing is defined as presenting a post hoc hypothesis (i.e., one based on or informed by one’s results) in a research report as if it was, in fact, a priori” (Kerr, 1998, p. 196). For example, performing subgroup analyses, finding an effect in one subgroup, and writing the introduction with a ‘hypothesis’ that matches these results.
References:
- Kerr, N. L. (1998). HARKing: Hypothesizing after the results are known. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2(3), 196–217. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0203_4
- Nosek, B. A., & Lakens, D. (2014). Registered reports. Social Psychology, 45, 137–141. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000192
Originally drafted by: Beatrix Arendt
Reviewed by: Matt Jaquiery, Charlotte R. Pennington, Martin Vasilev, Flávio Azevedo
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