A concept analysis and meta-narrative review established a comprehensive theoretical definition of replication research to improve its use

摘要

Objective<br/>The aim of this paper is to clarify the concept of replication research in order to improve its appropriate use by researchers, editors, research funders and decision makers.<br/>Study Design<br/>We combined concept analysis and meta-narrative review methods to synthetize knowledge on replication research from various scientific fields. We used multiple search strategies to identify relevant literature published before April, 2018. We summarized the data by seeking commonalities and differences in underlying conceptual and theoretical assumptions in the literature.<br/>Results<br/>152 papers from various disciplines were included. The analysis led to the identification of three major definitions of replication: the repetition of a previous study, the extension of a previous study and the road-testing of a theory. Attributes, conditions required to conduct replications studies, concerns related to the interpretation of replication studies and diverse replication research typologies were synthesized, combined and analyzed. Based on this meta-narrative review, a comprehensive theoretical definition of replication research was formulated.<br/>Conclusion<br/>This study can support the adoption of a shared understanding and recognition of the indispensable nature of replication research for the sound development of knowledge in all research fields.

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