Should journals apologize to victims of plagiarism? More on Journal of Clinical Microbiology case

Yesterday, we reported on a retraction in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology involving plagiarism and author issues. Well, it turns out we only had half the story. Thanks to a comment on Derek Lowe’s In the Pipeline blog, which picked up our item yesterday, we’ve learned of a remarkable pair of letters in the journal about … Continue reading Should journals apologize to victims of plagiarism? More on Journal of Clinical Microbiology case

Authorship questions: Retracted infection paper from Spain broke all (well, most) of the rules

Have you heard the story about the young, Orthodox Jewish fellow who decides to stop keeping kosher, so he goes to the local coffee shop and orders a cheeseburger with ham and bacon and a glass of milk? Some retraction notices put us in mind of that tale (true, by the way). Consider the following … Continue reading Authorship questions: Retracted infection paper from Spain broke all (well, most) of the rules

Brazilian forensic entomologist faces at least three retractions for plagiarism

After being found guilty of plagiarism, a Brazilian forensic entomologist has been forced to retract one paper and several chapters of a textbook, and will have at least one other paper withdrawn. The retraction of one of the papers, “Forensic entomology and main challenges in Brazil,” in Neotropical Entomology, was reported earlier this year by Marcelo … Continue reading Brazilian forensic entomologist faces at least three retractions for plagiarism

Following investigation, FASEB Journal retracts paper after agreeing to run a correction

A contested retraction has punctuated the complicated saga of a 2003 paper in the FASEB Journal. (FASEB stands for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.) A retraction notice for the paper, “Molecular analysis of Nogo expression in the hippocampus during development and following lesion and seizure,” appeared in mid-June:

Authors retract two JBC papers on how heart rhythms go awry; Montreal Heart Institute looking into why

The authors of two Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) studies of the molecular underpinnings of hearts whose rhythms have gone awry have retracted the papers, for reasons that are not completely clear. The two papers are  “MicroRNA miR-133 represses HERG K+ channel expression contributing to QT prolongation in diabetic hearts,” published in 2007, and “Down-regulation of miR-1/miR-133 contributes … Continue reading Authors retract two JBC papers on how heart rhythms go awry; Montreal Heart Institute looking into why

Why do — and don’t — journal editors retract articles?

Liz Wager, the chair of the Committee on Publication Ethics, knows something about retractions. In April, she and University College London’s Peter Williams published a paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics showing that journal editors’ approaches to retractions aren’t uniform. The pair is back with another paper, using the same dataset of retractions and published … Continue reading Why do — and don’t — journal editors retract articles?

“Representative” image in liver paper leads to retraction

The journal International Immunology has retracted a 2007 article, “Amelioration of hepatic fibrosis via beta-glucosylceramide-mediated immune modulation is associated with altered CD8 and NKT lymphocyte distribution,” by a group of Israeli liver researchers whose manuscript included a composite image that didn’t quite call itself such. The study, by scientists at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, … Continue reading “Representative” image in liver paper leads to retraction

“Nonessential” duplication leads to retraction of Blood cannabinoid paper

The journal Blood has retracted a paper from a group of prestigious Harvard researchers after the article, which appeared in January 2011, was found to have multiple instances of material — text, data and other elements — that had appeared in a previous publication from several of the authors. The article was titled “Cannabinoid receptor … Continue reading “Nonessential” duplication leads to retraction of Blood cannabinoid paper

Unprecedented? Journal yanks transcendental meditation paper 12 minutes before it’s scheduled to publish

There’s a highly unusual situation brewing at the Archives of Internal Medicine. At 3:48 Eastern time on Monday, 12 minutes before the embargo lifted on the June 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the following message went out from its press office: The editorial office of the Archives of Internal Medicine has made … Continue reading Unprecedented? Journal yanks transcendental meditation paper 12 minutes before it’s scheduled to publish

No academic matter: Study links retractions to patient harm

Flawed research that leads to retractions is a problem for editors, publishers and the scientific community. But what about patients? In a recent issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics, R. Grant Steen asks the question — and answers it in the affirmative. We’ve heard from Steen before; he has written two recent papers on … Continue reading No academic matter: Study links retractions to patient harm