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Replication FailureOpen accessComputer Science· cited by 671

Leakage and the reproducibility crisis in machine-learning-based science

Sayash Kapoor; Arvind Narayanan · 2023 · Patterns

WASTE classifies this as Replication Failure · AI classification, approximate

A previously reported effect did not replicate here — verify it holds before you build on it.

Abstract

Machine-learning (ML) methods have gained prominence in the quantitative sciences. However, there are many known methodological pitfalls, including data leakage, in ML-based science. We systematically investigate reproducibility issues in ML-based science. Through a survey of literature in fields that have adopted ML methods, we find 17 fields where leakage has been found, collectively affecting 294 papers and, in some cases, leading to wildly overoptimistic conclusions. Based on our survey, we introduce a detailed taxonomy of eight types of leakage, ranging from textbook errors to open resear

Abstract by Sayash Kapoor; Arvind Narayanan, Patterns (2023) — licensed CC BY 4.0.

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WASTE indexes this work — it does not host or republish it. Failure-type classification is automated and approximate.

Metadata source: OpenAlex · DOI 10.1016/j.patter.2023.100804