Weekend reads: Stapel as an object lesson, peer review’s flaws, and salami slicing
It’s been another busy week at Retraction Watch. Here’s a sampling of scientific publishing and misconduct news from around the web:
Search Results for: nature
“Why Growing Retractions Are (Mostly) a Good Sign”: New study makes the case
Retraction Watch readers will no doubt be familiar with the fact that retraction rates are rising, but one of the unanswered questions has been whether that increase is due to more misconduct, greater awareness, or some combination of the two. In a new paper in PLOS Medicine, Daniele Fanelli, who has studied misconduct and related … Continue reading “Why Growing Retractions Are (Mostly) a Good Sign”: New study makes the case
Melendez notches retraction 14, Lemus now stands at 12
Two researchers who have appeared frequently on Retraction Watch have racked up another retraction each. This is the fourteenth retraction for Alirio Melendez, who was found guilty of misconduct by the National University of Singapore but denies the allegations. Here’s the notice in The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology for “Environmental toxicogenomics: A … Continue reading Melendez notches retraction 14, Lemus now stands at 12
Weekend reads: China’s scientific publishing black market, how to blow the whistle, and more
It’s been a busy week here at Retraction Watch, with breaking news about hotly debated papers from Nature and about GMOs, but there have been interesting stories about retractions and scientific misconduct elsewhere, too. Here’s a sampling:
Controversial Seralini GMO-rats paper to be retracted
A heavily criticized study of the effects of genetically modified maize and the Roundup herbicide on rats is being retracted — one way or another. The paper — by Gilles Seralini and colleagues — was published in Food and Chemical Toxicology last year. There have been calls for retraction since then, along with other criticism … Continue reading Controversial Seralini GMO-rats paper to be retracted
Cancer researchers retract two papers in the JBC
Two cancer researchers who hold a patent on a particular pathway that might be a target for new drugs — and one of whom leads a company that is studying those potential drugs — have retracted two related papers in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC). The notices for “Kinase suppressor of Ras signals through … Continue reading Cancer researchers retract two papers in the JBC
Cell update: Co-corresponding author let go from Belgian university; retraction notice language changed
We’ve learned more about the circumstances behind a Cell retraction that we covered last week. First, one of the two corresponding authors left the institution where he most recently worked. Belgium’s VIB Ghent told us that Pankaj Dhonukshe was no longer employed there and said:
Columbia University misconduct retraction highlights what’s wrong with the retraction process
The Journal of Clinical Anesthesia has a retraction of a 2006 paper by a group from Columbia University that, to our minds, is the poster child for how not to handle such things. The article, “Dexmedetomidine infusion is associated with enhanced renal function after thoracic surgery,” was written by Robert J. Frumento, Helene G. Logginidou, … Continue reading Columbia University misconduct retraction highlights what’s wrong with the retraction process
Harvard student publication retracts article saying Jews deserve punishment because “they killed Jesus”
A Harvard student publication has retracted an article arguing that Jews deserved the persecution they’ve received for 2,000 years because they “killed Jesus.” (We’ll do a few conflict of interest disclosures, if just for the hell — oops — of it: Harvard is Ivan’s alma mater, and both of us are well, Jews. We note, … Continue reading Harvard student publication retracts article saying Jews deserve punishment because “they killed Jesus”
Psychology journal editor has seven articles retracted for duplication or plagiarism
The editor of a psychology journal has had seven papers in a different psychology journal retracted, for either plagiarism or duplication, although the notices are vague. Here are the seven articles by Paraskevi Theofilou, editor of Health Psychology Research, in Europe’s Journal of Psychology: