In the previous article we saw that research centers and universities are driven by many factors which are not related to the science they are researching: maximization of publications of individuals and of the university as a whole, publication into specific journals and obtaining of research funding. These factors directly influence and bias the research results.
1) Maximization of publications :
Unfortunately in many cases it is not the quality of publications that count ,but the total number. This has many undesirable consequences. Firstly, it pushes researches to publish quickly WITHOUT closely examining results. Researches often will republish the same results in multiple journals with only small modifications to the text. Thirdly: researches may copy other research from one journal to another. In all cases quality is sacrificed for quantity. In addition, publications usually mean conference in which travel+ accommodations are paid by the university, which can be a very strong incentive for submitting articles to conferences in prized travel destinations.
2) Publication into Specific Journals
For the case of the creation versus Evolution debate this is a critical point. The majority of journals and in particular the top rated journal “Nature” and “Science” all implicitly accept the theory of evolution. It is impossible for a publication to be accepted in these journals if it is defending positions based on creation or scientifically refuting articles supporting evolution.
3) Obtaining of Research Funding
Contrary to popular belief, in the end Research is a much of a business as selling cars or any other commercial activity. The business is centered around obtain research grants from public funding or building lucrative relationships with private companies which can be lucrative for professors. Obtaining funding depends strongly on the ability of the research to publish.
II) Difference with Research in the area of Creation.
Creation Facts of Life
In the book, former evolutionist Dr. Gary Parker describes the evidences he once used to “preach” evolution in his biology classes.
Contrary to the situation with evolution research, activity in the area of creation does not have the same pressures or biases. The reason for this is obvious, in our current society, there is little research funding or other money to be gained from publishing a scientific article on creation. In addition there is no pressure to try to be accepted in top rated journals, since there is no chance of getting accepted in journals which have already written off creation as religion and myth.
Fortunately, despite the overwhelming barriers faced by creation research, a large number of quality books have appeared on the subject and we encourage our readers to deepen there understanding in this area.
Recommended Reading on Creation/Evolution: