The stories the data can tell: The tenuous link between evidence and theory
Geoff Norman · 2026
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Description
Geoff Norman writes a commentary on how loosely data and theory connect in medical education research. His 2026 piece reflects on a study of premature closure, the habit of settling on a diagnosis too early. In that study, a distracting feature planted in a case cut students' accuracy sharply, worst when it appeared early.
Norman argues the results can be told as several different stories, and the field often picks the story that flatters its prior theory. He notes that years of teaching about bias have produced little evidence that bias shrinks. Quotes from statisticians frame his point that data speak softly and can mislead. The commentary invites researchers to hold their theories more loosely. It is an essay on interpretation, not a new experiment.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Geoff Norman |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 8 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |