The Statistical Society of Australia's branches have come together to launch the National Speaker Series, bringing you insightful talks from experts across the country. During the year, a different branch will host an event, showcasing diverse topics in statistics and data science.
The Queensland Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia invites you to an online webinar titled "Research Quality Is Under Threat from Speed, Fraud and AI" presented by Prof. Adrian Barnett.
Date: Wednesday 21 October 2026
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST
Format: Online via Zoom. Details provided upon registration
Abstract: Research Quality Is Under Threat from Speed, Fraud and AI
High-quality research takes time. The best research uses a detailed study protocol, carefully collects data, and thoroughly reports the findings and limitations. The pressure to "publish or perish" means that much current research is rushed, with corners cut so that research teams can be first at the cost of being correct. Statistical coding is often rushed and model checking is rarely done. As well as sloppy practice, there is also outright fraud where results are massaged or even entirely faked to get a published paper. These problems are being exacerbated by a research system under strain, as publication numbers are rising and stretching the already limited resource of peer review. AI is adding to the strain, as it allows researchers to quickly write papers and create code in areas that were previously outside their expertise. Large changes are needed to the research system to ensure that published research findings are reliable. Researchers who want to demonstrate good quality will soon need to leave detailed paper trails of their work to show their work's provenance. Better systems of reproducibility checks are urgently needed, which could be automated or carried out by qualified researchers for high-impact papers.
Presenter Bio: Professor Adrian Barnett
Professor Adrian Barnett graduated from University College London with a BSc in Statistics in 1994. After that, he worked for SmithKline Beecham and the Medical Research Council as a statistician before coming to Australia to do a PhD. He completed his PhD in Mathematics in 2002. He currently works at the Australian Centre for Health Services and Innovation at QUT. His research interests are in meta-research, research funding, data sharing, peer review, and reducing research waste. He is the past president of the Statistical Society of Australia and the Association for Interdisciplinary Meta-Research and Open Science (AIMOS). His main interest is how to increase the value of health and medical research.
Key Learnings
Attendees will leave with a clearer view of what quality research actually requires, how speed and AI are putting that at risk, and what statisticians can do to protect the provenance and reproducibility of published findings
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