Mandatory author self critiquemasc

Scientific publication currently rewards triumph and punishes doubt. Authors who privately know the limitations of their own theories have no formal mechanism — and no professional incentive — to disclose those limitations at publication. The result is that each generation of researchers inherits not just the theory but also the hidden doubts its authors carried silently to their graves. Decades are wasted rediscovering what was already privately known. This paper proposes a structural reform: Mandatory Author Self Critique — a required fourth section in all scientific publications in which authors formally document their own known limitations, unresolved questions, and private doubts about their work. The proposal connects to existing frameworks in peer review reform, invoice transparency, and EchoFamiliar bias in scientific communities. Implementation would accelerate cumulative scientific progress by ensuring each generation begins from the known edge rather than rediscovering it.