Failure

Failure in research remains a taboo topic for many academics and students. The pressure to be the perfect researcher can make discussing failure with peers and mentors extremely difficult, if not impossible. Academic publishing – not unreasonably – tends to favor the publication of “successful” research. The resulting culture of silence around failure often extends beyond complete failures, leading to the avoidance of discussing what did not go well or what could have gone better in any meaningful way. What opportunities are being missed by not having conversations about failure? 

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