In a somewhat similar vein, Tom Wolfe wrote "The Painted Word" about modern art. I believe the point he made was that the stuff on the canvas had ceased to be very important -- it was all about the critics. A critic could "see" things other people did not see. A critic could find "meaning" where there was none. If a critic said you were a mere dauber, then it was over for you. If a critic said you were the next big thing, then you were.
The painting didn't matter -- the reviews were where the action was.
The research doesn't matter -- the published "findings" are what's important.