182 - Bias in fire research

Fire is a highly contextualized problem; therefore, there is no such thing as an unbiased or "objective" fire experiment. It is a thing that many researchers would understand but is very rarely pointed out. Where it is not a problem for fire science (more like a 'feature'), it may become one when the results of scientific experiments are directly applied to real-world engineering cases.In this episode, I cover biases in research, from general ones to highly specific fire safety engineering biases. The list is long, we cover:selection biasconfirmation biasmeasurement/instrumentation biaspublication biasobserver biassampling/data analysis biasconflicts of interestsWe also discuss the contextual nature of fire and fire science related to architecture, fuel, ignition, and environmental conditions. We cover experimental design and measurement techniques. While showcasing all those possible sources of uncertainty and error, it is important to highlight that the science is generally very reliable—you just need to know how to use it.This is the final episode of 2024, so thank you very much for being here with the Fire Science Show and see you back on the Jan 8th 2025!!! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!----The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.