Search Results for: images

Journal retracts paper eight months after U.S. Feds announce findings of misconduct

In August, the U.S. Office of Research Integrity announced that a former postdoctoral fellow at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) doctored data in two published papers. It took one journal a little longer than five months to remove the researcher’s name from the co-author list, and replace one figure. It took the second … Continue reading Journal retracts paper eight months after U.S. Feds announce findings of misconduct

First author objects to retraction (his fourth) in chemistry journal

The first author of a 2013 chemistry paper is objecting to his co-authors’ decision to retract the paper, which contains duplicated figures. We recently encountered a similar scenario with papers by first author Khalid Mahmood. In late 2015, Mahmood lost three papers in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces over duplicated images. One of the notices … Continue reading First author objects to retraction (his fourth) in chemistry journal

Former UCLA vice-chancellor loses cancer paper for image manipulation

The former vice chancellor for research at the University of California, Los Angeles, has retracted a 2012 paper after an internal investigation found evidence of image manipulation. The journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics received a letter about the problems with the paper from the UCLA Research Integrity Officer, and a retraction request from last author James Economou, also … Continue reading Former UCLA vice-chancellor loses cancer paper for image manipulation

Meet our new staff writer, Andrew P. Han

Please welcome Andrew P. Han, the newest addition to the Retraction Watch team. Andy comes to Retraction Watch and the Center for Scientific Integrity from GenomeWeb, where he covered the explosion of CRISPR/Cas9 into the research and biotech scene over the last several years. He has also freelanced for Wired.com, Popular Mechanics.com, Newsweek, and Food … Continue reading Meet our new staff writer, Andrew P. Han

Weekend reads: A modern-day witch hunt; overly honest limitations; doing the right thing

The week at Retraction Watch featured the launch of an award for doing the right thing, and a hijacked journal getting its name back. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Researcher who sued to prevent retractions now has 12

A diabetes researcher who once sued a publisher to prevent several retractions has just issued his 12th. The latest retraction, like several others for Mario Saad, appears in the journal Diabetes. Although in the past Saad expended considerable effort to protect four other Diabetes papers from this same fate, the latest retraction was initiated by the authors, citing several duplicated images. … Continue reading Researcher who sued to prevent retractions now has 12

PLOS upgrades flag on controversial PACE chronic fatigue syndrome trial; authors “surprised”

PLOS ONE has issued an expression of concern after the authors of a controversial study about chronic fatigue syndrome declined to share some of their data. In an unusual move, the journal included the authors’ response to the expression of concern (EOC), in which they strongly argue against the notice, and “do not accept that it … Continue reading PLOS upgrades flag on controversial PACE chronic fatigue syndrome trial; authors “surprised”

Author objects to retraction after he says journal ignored his queries for three years

In 2014, a journal contacted researcher Denis Rousseau about one of his papers that had just been published online ahead of print, raising some concerns. According to Rousseau, he sent the journal a corrected figure “almost immediately,” which he believed addressed the issue. Rousseau, a cell biologist at the University Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, said he then contacted the journal many … Continue reading Author objects to retraction after he says journal ignored his queries for three years

“Remarkable” it was ever accepted, says report: Science to retract study on fish and microplastics

Science is retracting a paper about how human pollution is harming fish, after months of questions about the validity of the data. The move, first reported by the news side of Science on Friday, follows a new report from a review board in Sweden that concluded the authors were guilty of “scientific dishonesty,” and the paper should be … Continue reading “Remarkable” it was ever accepted, says report: Science to retract study on fish and microplastics

University suggests journal correct diabetes paper. Publisher retracts it.

After a publisher learned there may be issues with a 2008 diabetes paper, it asked the author’s university to investigate. The university found evidence of image duplication, and asked the journal to consider correcting the paper. Instead, the journal has retracted it. The backstory involves diabetes researcher Kathrin Maedler, who has one previous retraction, as … Continue reading University suggests journal correct diabetes paper. Publisher retracts it.