Retraction Watch readers, we really need your help

Dear Retraction Watch readers:

We hope that you continue to enjoy Retraction Watch, and find it — and our database of retractions — useful. Maybe you’re a researcher who likes keeping up with developments in scientific integrity. Maybe you’re a reporter who has found a story idea in our database, or on the blog. Maybe you’re an ethics instructor who uses the site to find case studies. Or a publisher who uses our blog to screen authors who submit manuscripts — we know at least two who do.

Whether you fall into one of those categories or another, we need your help.

As is the case for most non-profits, our future depends on maintaining sufficient financial support. We’re therefore asking you to consider a tax-deductible financial contribution to our parent non-profit organization, The Center For Scientific Integrity.

We hope that this need is somewhat temporary. We have several sources of potential “earned revenue” sources either in existence or development. For example, all of the fees we earn from writing for Science, The Boston Globe, STAT, and other outlets are paid to the Center. While our database of retractions will always be free to search, and we are happy to make the data available to any scholar who intends to publish their findings, we plan to license the data to those who might have commercial uses for it, including publishers, investors, and universities. And we have been working on a specialized newsletter for a part of our audience that may find the information useful.

We also do our best to ensure that those revenue streams do not interfere with the reader experience. We carry no ads, except for text classifieds — which exist for now only on the Retraction Watch Daily. (If you know anyone who is trying to hire a journal editor, a research integrity officer, or a science librarian, or if you have a meeting you would like to promote, tell them to contact Craig Wilson.)

Building up these streams, however, takes time. Many of you have responded to our “fund drives” in the past, and even in the recent past, and for that we are deeply thankful. If it has been a while, and your circumstances permit, we’d ask you to consider contributing again. If not, we completely understand; please know that we value all kinds of support. Perhaps you could circulate this post to others who would be interested in donating, or whose companies participate in giving programs such as Benevity.

As is clear from our tax filings, the vast majority of our budget goes to staff salaries. At the moment, so that our dollars stretch as far as they can, neither I nor my co-founder Adam Marcus are taking salaries. We will do that as long as we need to.

Thanks for considering a donation. Contribute by PayPal here, Crowdrise here, or by check made out to The Center For Scientific Integrity, 121 W. 36th St., Suite 209, New York, NY 10018.

Gratefully yours,

Ivan Oransky