Prestige Gatekeeping Blocks Replication

Nature reviewers allegedly argued a replication of Moss‑Racusin (2012) should also replicate prestige features—its PNAS venue, editor (Shirley Tilghman), and an 'interdisciplinary team'—rather than just the methods. Elevating status markers as replication criteria converts replication from a technical test into a defense of hierarchy. In politicized areas, this can systematically deter tests of headline‑friendly results. — If prestige criteria are used to block replications, institutional credibility and evidence‑based policy suffer, especially in sensitive DEI domains.