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Before I start explaining my situation, I would like to say that I have read the other questions on this topic but I cannot find what I need on 100%. I am a bachelor student and I am working on my bachelor thesis. The main activity of this thesis is to make a replicated experiment. The experiment involves participants to ask questions which require statistical and accounting intuitions.

After I have performed the experiment, I cannot get on 100% the same results. I know where the problem is coming from but it is too late to re-do the experiment. I am not sure what I should do. How bad is that for my work, as I cannot accept any of the hypothesis compared to the original article?

I have made an extension but I cannot accept the hypothesis of this extension as there are no statistical reasons to do so. I am capable of arguing about why the hypotheses failed to be accepted but I am sure if it is nice to fail at your hypotheses.

I have never written an academic paper before.

Regard Boris

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    I'm not sure what kind of answer you're looking for, as you "know where the problem is coming from but it is too late to re-do," which means you do know there is a flaw that causes the lack of agreement. If that's true, why would you want to stage the whole situation as if it's a legitimate lack of reliability? In addition, perhaps because I am not from your field, I cannot understand any of the third paragraph.
    – Penguin_Knight
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 15:23
  • Do you have an adviser for this thesis? What do they suggest?
    – cpast
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 16:25
  • @Penguin_Knight do you suggest that if I know about the error then it should be fine? What I mean about the third paragraph is that I found "missed opportunities" of the authors of the original experiment. I added some things so I can measure the extension.
    – Neacel
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 18:13
  • @cpast I do have an adviser but I want to discuss the problem first here because bringing it to my adviser.
    – Neacel
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 18:18

2 Answers 2

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Honestly report about the results you have achieved, including any errors and omissions in the method that have occurred, or any reasons why you think the results are not as expected.

If you produce a good analysis and report, then it won't matter so much that the results were not as expected.

The point of a bachelor thesis is mainly to demonstrate that the student is capable of applying the skills learned over the prior years in a larger setting. The goal is not to produce original publishable results.

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This answer assume that peer reviewed publication is the goal and is not complete in the context of the question

*but it is too late to re-do the experiment"

This kind of situation is no fun at all, and is all too common, but you can't say anything if you know that your work is defective.

Your only really choice is to find more time and or money and start again or to keep mum.

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    Alternatively, honestly report the results obtained including the errors made/found.
    – Dave Clarke
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 16:40
  • That's ethically sound and a legitimate strategy in a context where it could get a hearing (a report inside a collaboration is the context that comes to my particle-physics tainted mind), but such a report generally won't pass the "sufficiently consequential" requirement for formal publication.
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 16:42
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    I didn't interpret "Academic Paper" as a publication; I thought that just referred to the Bachelor Thesis. Such a thesis is mainly to demonstrate that the student is capable of applying the skills they learned over the prior years in a larger setting. The goal is not to produce original publishable results.
    – Dave Clarke
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 16:58
  • Hmmm ... I think you are right about that. Why don't you make an answer of your comments?
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 17:00
  • It is just Bachelor Thesis but following the format of an academic article. I do not plan to publish it or something but I want to hand in a good quality paper.
    – Neacel
    Commented Mar 19, 2015 at 18:17

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