Good scientists should welcome this challenge with open arms, sunlight all of their data and code in a repository, and show how proper statistically rigorous research is conducted. That's an elevator right to the top of the field.
If I wrote code that messed up, I'd patch it. If someone else points out a bug? Even better, now I don't have to find it myself. But I would definitely not feel attacked or nor would I blame the QA engineer. It's my mistake, and so I must own it. These researchers need to do the same.
I believe full publication of code and data should be required for peer-reviewed research. If I can't look at your raw data or your algorithm, it is simply not possible to determine whether the study is correct. The social sciences must adapt to more statistically rigorous methods.
After all, the only two choices are adaptation or extinction.
If I wrote code that messed up, I'd patch it. If someone else points out a bug? Even better, now I don't have to find it myself. But I would definitely not feel attacked or nor would I blame the QA engineer. It's my mistake, and so I must own it. These researchers need to do the same.
I believe full publication of code and data should be required for peer-reviewed research. If I can't look at your raw data or your algorithm, it is simply not possible to determine whether the study is correct. The social sciences must adapt to more statistically rigorous methods.
After all, the only two choices are adaptation or extinction.