Ivan Oransky

At a snail’s pace: Species rediscovered, but paper on its disappearance remains

A few weeks ago, in Weekend Reads, we highlighted the story of a snail species, thought to have gone extinct thanks to global warming, that had been rediscovered.

Now, as first reported by The Scientist, the journal in question has addressed the issue.

Here’s the story: In 2007, Biology Letters published a paper by Justin Gerlach describing the extinction of the Aldabra banded snail. But as journal editor Richard Battarbee notes: Continue reading At a snail’s pace: Species rediscovered, but paper on its disappearance remains

Neuroscientist who threatened to sue Science-Fraud.org, retracted two papers is out at Tufts

Gizem Donmez, a neuroscientist who has retracted two papers from Cell and the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is no longer in her position at Tufts University, Retraction Watch has learned.

A Tufts spokesperson confirmed the news for us yesterday: Continue reading Neuroscientist who threatened to sue Science-Fraud.org, retracted two papers is out at Tufts

PubPeer Selections: PubPeer comments lead to Science correction; crystal structure in triplicate

Here’s another installment of PubPeer Selections: Continue reading PubPeer Selections: PubPeer comments lead to Science correction; crystal structure in triplicate

European Science Foundation demands retraction of criticism in Nature, threatens legal action

The European Science Foundation (ESF) has threatened legal action against a scientist for calling an evaluation process supported by the agency “flawed” in a commentary piece in Nature.

Amaya Moro-Martin, an assistant astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and an associate research scientist at The Johns Hopkins University, apparently angered the ESF with the bolded phrase below: Continue reading European Science Foundation demands retraction of criticism in Nature, threatens legal action

Weekend reads: Senator loses degree for plagiarism; bad colitis poetry; fraud on the big screen

The week at Retraction Watch featured papers by a fake author with a brilliant if profane name, and the unmasking of fraudster Diederik Stapel as a sock puppet. Here’s what was happening elsewhere: Continue reading Weekend reads: Senator loses degree for plagiarism; bad colitis poetry; fraud on the big screen

After 16 retractions, management professor Lichtenthaler resigns post

Ulrich Lichtenthaler, a management professor at the University of Mannheim who has had to retract 16 papers for data irregularities, has resigned his faculty position.

According to a terse release from the university (translated from German): Continue reading After 16 retractions, management professor Lichtenthaler resigns post

Yet another study of widely touted cancer “cure” retracted

A third study of GcMAF, a protein being used to treat a variety of conditions from AIDS to autism to cancer, all without the blessing of health agencies, has been retracted.

Here’s the notice in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy for “Immunotherapy of metastatic colorectal cancer with vitamin D-binding protein-derived macrophage-activating factor, GcMAF:” Continue reading Yet another study of widely touted cancer “cure” retracted

Diederik Stapel loses teaching post, admits he was sockpuppeting on Retraction Watch

Diederik Stapel’s reinvention as a teacher at a college in the Netherlands has proven to be short-lived.

According to the NRC Handelsblad, Stapel resigned from the job at Fontys in solidarity with Anton Dautzenberg, whose contract at Fontys was terminated and with whom Stapel had co-authored a play. A performance of that play was cancelled last month.

Stapel, who has 54 retractions, tells Retraction Watch that he “had to resign:” Continue reading Diederik Stapel loses teaching post, admits he was sockpuppeting on Retraction Watch