Although DNA methylation data are used widely by researchers in many fields, the reliability of these data are surprisingly variable. In research published in Cell Press, Karen Sugden, Avshalom Caspi and team's findings remind us that, in an age of increasingly big data, research is only as robust as its foundations. The team hopes that their findings will improve the integrity of DNA methylation studies. They also hope that their findings serve as a cautionary reminder for those generating and implementing big data of any type: reliability is a fundamental aspect of replicability. Conducting analysis with reliable data will improve chances of replicable findings, which might lead to more actionable targets for further research. To the extent that reliable data improve replicability, the knock-on effect will be more public confidence in research and less effort spent trying to replicate findings that are bound to fail.
Read Patterns of Reliability: Assessing the Reproducibility and Integrity of DNA Methylation Measurement