Search Results for: nature

Fudged figures sink breast cancer paper

A prestigious cancer journal has pulled an article over “concerns” regarding some of the figures, which PubPeer commenters had tagged as suspect. A few weeks after the paper was published on June 9, comments on PubPeer began accumulating. Commenters called out both potentially manipulated and repeated images. The exact timeline is not clear, because Oncogene does not list … Continue reading Fudged figures sink breast cancer paper

White House takes notice of reproducibility in science, and wants your opinion

The White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is taking a look at innovation and scientific research, and issues of reproducibility have made it onto its radar. Here’s the description of the project from the Federal Register:

First author blamed for retraction in prestigious medical journal

The authors of a Journal of Experimental Medicine have retracted it, blaming the first author for data and figure manipulation. The paper, “The requirements for natural Th17 cell development are distinct from those of conventional Th17 cells,” was initially published in September 2011 and has been cited 25 times, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge. … Continue reading First author blamed for retraction in prestigious medical journal

Danish committee rejects much of Klarlund Pedersen’s appeal of misconduct findings

The Danish Committees on Scientific Dishonesty (DCSD, Danish acronym UVVU) has partially reversed a December 2013 finding of misconduct against a scientist in Denmark, but has upheld most of its ruling. Bente Klarlund Pedersen, whose case was tied up with that of Milena Penkowa, another scientist in Denmark found guilty of misconduct, committed misconduct in … Continue reading Danish committee rejects much of Klarlund Pedersen’s appeal of misconduct findings

This retraction has teeth: Journal changes publication policy after discovering misconduct

The Indian Society of Periodontology has changed their editorial policy as the result of an author who had “neither taken adequate permission from nor given due acknowledgement to all authors concerned.” Now, any authors will be required to sign a contract acknowledging accountability for the content of the submitted paper, as well as be able … Continue reading This retraction has teeth: Journal changes publication policy after discovering misconduct

“I am not a monster and I am not unreasonable:” Student attacks professor with axe after grant is cut

A physics graduate student at the University of Coimbra in Portugal attacked a professor with an axe earlier this month after losing a grant. The student, Colin Paul Gloster, attacked physics lecturer Maria Filomena Santos, who according to the Irish Mirror will “require reconstructive surgery as the axe cut very close to the tendons.” Speaking of … Continue reading “I am not a monster and I am not unreasonable:” Student attacks professor with axe after grant is cut

Bearly believable: Water bear paper retracted for missing lab notebooks

Tardigrades, the most hardy animals on or off planet Earth, can survive boiling, freezing, and even the ravages of outer space. Unfortunately, some data on water bears’ memories proved to be less long-lasting, earning a retraction for a George Mason University researcher who also published the paper without alerting her co-workers ahead of time. Here’s the notice for … Continue reading Bearly believable: Water bear paper retracted for missing lab notebooks

Weekend reads: Publish a paper, get $10,000!; Lancet editor Horton under fire

Another busy week at Retraction Watch. Here’s what was happening elsewhere: Publish a paper, get $10,000! “Following the publication in The Lancet last month of an open letter to the people of Gaza, a number of doctors have begun a petition to force editor-in-chief Richard Horton to resign. Should medical journals get political?