Search Results for: doing the right thing

Lizards aren’t getting hotter faster than the planet after all, says retraction

A paper that raised alarms by suggesting lizards were warming even faster than the planet has been retracted after the authors employed the wrong method to measure temperatures. Some scientists thought that, because of the way lizards retain heat to regulate their cold-blooded bodies, they might be more sensitive to temperature changes. Well, not in this case. … Continue reading Lizards aren’t getting hotter faster than the planet after all, says retraction

Re-analysis of controversial Paxil study shows drug “ineffective and unsafe” for teens

The antidepressant Paxil isn’t safe or effective for teens after all, says a re-analysis of a 2001 study published today in The BMJ. The original 2001 paper in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry — study 329, as it’s known — helped greenlight use of the drug (generically known as paroxetine) in young people. … Continue reading Re-analysis of controversial Paxil study shows drug “ineffective and unsafe” for teens

Kansas ecology prof loses whistleblower protection after alleging misconduct

The U.S. government has denied whistleblower protection for a researcher who was fired from Kansas State University after alleging his colleagues misrepresented data in an ecology paper. Researcher Joseph Craine was asked to leave K-State after being the “subject of a dismissal campaign” by colleagues when he told the Ecology journal that he believed some … Continue reading Kansas ecology prof loses whistleblower protection after alleging misconduct

Weekend reads: Backstabbing; plagiarism irony; preprints to the rescue

The week at Retraction Watch featured a call for the retraction of a paper in NEJM, and a withdrawal of a paper because authors couldn’t pay the page charges. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Researchers call for retraction of NEJM paper showing dangers of e-cigarettes

Researchers and advocates are calling for the retraction of a 2015 letter in the New England Journal of Medicine that suggested that e-cigarettes are as harmful – if not more than – traditional cigarettes. The NEJM paper reported that e-cigarettes expose smokers to significant amounts of formaldehyde, which the authors calculated could raise lifetime cancer … Continue reading Researchers call for retraction of NEJM paper showing dangers of e-cigarettes

Two groups mistakenly publish case reports on the same patient

Talk about a popular patient: A woman who developed a case of internal bleeding while taking the anticoagulant Xarelto (rivaroxaban) was written up in not one — but two — case reports. The trouble was, both groups didn’t realize what the other was doing, so the more recent article is now being retracted from the Journal … Continue reading Two groups mistakenly publish case reports on the same patient

Yes, many psychology findings may be “too good to be true” – now what?

Today, Science published the first results from a massive reproducibility project, in which more than 250 psychology researchers tried to replicate the results of 100 papers published in three psychology journals. Despite working with the original authors and using original materials, only 36% of the studies produced statistically significant results, and more than 80% of … Continue reading Yes, many psychology findings may be “too good to be true” – now what?

Researchers suspended in Japan for funding violations

Hokkaido University has suspended two of its professors after an investigation found “improper receipt of research funding.” One member of the team was awarded more than 15 million yen (roughly $120,000 USD) in research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), according to the official statement (translated by One Hour Translation). The researchers … Continue reading Researchers suspended in Japan for funding violations

Following criticism, PLOS removes blog defending scrutiny of science

Community blog PLOS Biologue has pulled a post by journalists Charles Seife and Paul Thacker that argued in favor of public scrutiny of scientists’ behavior (including emails), following heavy criticism, including from a group and scientist mentioned in the post. Their reasoning: The post was “not consistent with at least the spirit and intent of our community guidelines.” The … Continue reading Following criticism, PLOS removes blog defending scrutiny of science

Four papers by former Wayne State researcher retracted after ORI report

Retractions have been published for four papers authored by former Wayne State University professor, Teresita L. Briones, after an April ORI report found evidence of misconduct in the articles. Investigators found that Briones had “intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly engaged in research misconduct by falsifying and/or fabricating data.” They flagged five papers and three grant applications that … Continue reading Four papers by former Wayne State researcher retracted after ORI report