What was behind an oddly-worded dental retraction? The authors stole someone’s thesis

A dentistry journal has retracted a paper after discovering the research was lifted from dissertation work by two people unrelated to the paper authors.

Here’s the notice for “Treatment of mandibular angle fracture with a 2 mm, 3-dimensional rectangular grid compression miniplates: A prospective clinical study“:

It has been brought to the notice of Editorial Board; Journal of International Oral Health: An Official Publication of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry that substantial overlap of study design and significant conflict of interest has occurred involving this study.

The practice was confirmed after due assessment of the contents in the present case and critical evaluation of the claims made by both parties. In order to condemn such practices in future with special emphasis in regards to original content, research ethics, authenticity of study performed and plagiarism, the Editorial Board, JIOH has decided to retract the published article from the assigned issue.

Editorial Board, JIOH shows strict disagreement with such acts and intimates its serious concern for such unethical practices.

We spoke to editor in chief Ravi Patil, who was more clear about what actually happened:

The research and clinical work mentioned in the above article was a dissertation work done under the guidance of Dr Babu Parmar and by his student Dr. Mohit Agrwal [Ed. note: neither are authors on the paper].

Dr.Samir Mansuri and all other authors of this article were not at all concerned with the article related research and clinical work.

Patil said that Parmar and Agrwal contacted him about the theft. When asked why authors might steal the work of others, he responded:

It is the pressure from the said universities and their peers to publish. Publications help authors to get their promotions, hike in their salary and perks as well.

We also spoke with Parmar, head of the Government Dental College and Hospital Ahmedabad, whose work was used in the article. He told us that the original work was done as part of his thesis, and that the photos used in the publication were from a different research project of his.

Hat tip: Rolf Degen