Where Did the Resistance Go? How Empirical Claims Survive Evidence That Should Weaken Them
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Sometimes the evidence in a paper pushes against its main claim. The failed test is visible. Thedisappointing validation is reported. The unfavorable comparison is acknowledged. Yet by the time thereader reaches the abstract or conclusion, the claim has barely changed.How did that happen?Resistance handling refers to ways evidentiary resistance can be treated so that it fails to carryforward into the claim. The framework identifies recurring patterns including rhetorical resolution,evaluation refactoring, missing expected baselines, selective metric invalidation, and semanticinflation.The contribution is classificatory rather than corrective. It provides language for recognizing whenrestraint is warranted before a claim is relied upon or reused.
Author: Lee, Jake
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203873921
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