RMP.5:8 - Common Anti-Patterns and How to Avoid Them

Anti-pattern	Why it fails	Practical correction
“The graph proves the explanation”	A displayed pattern can survive while its causal interpretation fails.	State the actual comparison and the stronger inference it cannot supply.
“More readings give more independent cases”	Repeated measurements can share the same underlying unit and dependence.	Recover the unit and the justified uncertainty model.
“The model reruns, so it is valid in the field”	Execution and model-to-world adequacy are different relations.	Preserve the computational result and examine the proposed use separately.
“The archive is silent, so it did not happen”	Survival, purpose and access can produce silence.	State the examined record set and the inference its absence can support.
“Every qualitative analysis needs coder agreement”	The criterion can contradict the selected qualitative approach.	Use its justified account of interpretation, researcher contribution and criticism.
“A limitation means the analysis failed”	A bounded result may answer the present question honestly.	Return that result and identify any further useful question without inventing work.