Question

That were kept at a colder temperature were more likely to get sick. The scientists

began their study at a school in South Florida which maintained a temperature of

16°C (60°F) all day. The scientists found that 45% of the students caught colds from

December to March. They documented their results and wrote a conclusion for their

findings which stated that colder temperatures in a school result in the students

becoming sick. When the researchers tried to publish their paper, all respected

journals rejected it. What would be the most likely reason for not being able to

publish the results at this point?

The study was biased, based on the fact that the test group was only from one school and there was no

control group.

Answer 1

The rejection likely occurred due to the lack of a control group and potential bias from studying a single school, leading to results that are not generalizable and lacking in scientific rigor.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most likely reason the paper was rejected for publication is due to the lack of a control group and potential bias from only studying one school. In scientific research, especially in a field like epidemiology, it is critical to include a control group to compare the outcomes against factors that can influence the results. A control group would be a similar group of students, perhaps in a school with a warmer temperature, where researchers do not expect the same rate of colds. Additionally, since the study was only conducted in one school, the results may not be generalizable to other populations and settings. This could result from a myriad of unaccounted variables such as genetic predisposition, hygiene practices, building ventilation, or even regional flu trends, not just the cold temperature. To improve the study, researchers need to include multiple variables and possibly randomized trials in diverse environments to produce more reliable and publishable data.

Answer 2

The most likely reason for not being able to publish the results of the study at this point is:

The study was biased, based on the fact that the test group was only from one school, and there was no control group.

Reason for rejection of papers

Scientific journals want studies to be done well and follow the right methods. In this situation, the scientists' study had some restrictions that could cause unfair results.

First, the study was only done at one school in South Florida. This means that the results only apply to a certain area and might not be true for other places or different weather conditions.

The results may not apply to a wide range of people because the group studied was not diverse.

Also, the study did not have a group for comparison. A control group is a group that is not given the treatment or exposure being tested in an experiment, so that scientists can see the difference it makes.

In this situation, it's important to have a group of students for comparison to see if the illness rate is different in schools with different temperatures. It's hard to prove that getting sick is caused by cold weather without a group for comparison.