The selection effect is also easily explained. 'Top' journals have as explicit policy not to publish the most robust research, but the research they think will

The selection effect is also easily explained. 'Top' journals have as explicit policy not to publish the most robust research, but the research they think will have most impact in the field. (Hence 'impact factor'.) That's why with the project I volunteer for (Plaudit.pub) researchers recommending research have to explicitly indicate whether they think a work is robust and/or exciting, where neither block publication nor the recommendation.