Search Results for: lose phd degree

Whistleblower released after being held for 4 days in Bangkok airport

A UK academic who’s lived in Thailand for decades has just been released from the Bangkok airport where he had been held for four days, the apparent result of his years-ago decision to expose a Thai official who had plagiarized his PhD thesis. A university investigation several years ago eventually found that Wyn Ellis was, indeed, correct: … Continue reading Whistleblower released after being held for 4 days in Bangkok airport

Use of data “without permission,” bad authors list, and hidden funding sink mol bio paper

A Chinese researcher has lost a paper after the journal discovered he published others’ research without permission and lied about the grant funding he used for the work. Yihang Shen published a paper using his PhD research on the molecular biology of fetal rodent livers earlier this year in DNA and Cell Biology. Unfortunately, he didn’t have permission to … Continue reading Use of data “without permission,” bad authors list, and hidden funding sink mol bio paper

What if universities had to agree to refund grants whenever there was a retraction?

We’re pleased to share this guest post from Leonid Schneider, a cell biologist, science journalist and a prolific cartoonist whose work graces our Twitter profile and Facebook page. In it, Schneider argues for a new way to ensure accountability for publicly funded research. It has become clear that scientific dishonesty is rarely sanctioned.  In the worst case scenario, manipulated or … Continue reading What if universities had to agree to refund grants whenever there was a retraction?

U.S. senator appears to have plagiarized his master’s thesis

A Democratic senator from Montana, John Walsh, is the latest high-profile politician to face plagiarism charges. The New York Times reports: …one of the highest-profile credentials of Mr. Walsh’s 33-year military career appears to have been improperly attained. An examination of the final paper required for Mr. Walsh’s master’s degree from the United States Army … Continue reading U.S. senator appears to have plagiarized his master’s thesis

The camel doesn’t have two humps: Programming “aptitude test” canned for overzealous conclusion

From Larry Summers to James Watson, certain scientists have a long and questionable tradition of using “data” to make claims about intelligence and aptitude. So it’s no surprise that, when well-known computer scientist Richard Bornat claimed his PhD student had created a test to separate people who would succeed at programming versus those who didn’t, people happily … Continue reading The camel doesn’t have two humps: Programming “aptitude test” canned for overzealous conclusion

Miłość at first sight: A retraction notice worth emulating from Poland

If we had a Retraction Watch headquarters (other than the diner where we occasionally meet for breakfast), we would have had to have closed up early today, because we both swooned when we saw a retraction notice from the Journal of Polish CIMAC this morning. The notice, signed by the journal’s editor-in-chief Jerzy Girtler, of … Continue reading Miłość at first sight: A retraction notice worth emulating from Poland

“I never manipulated data”: Förster defends actions in open letter

Jens Förster, the Dutch social psychologist accused of misconduct, has posted an open letter on his lab’s website in which he denies wrongdoing. The letter, in English and dated May 11, offers a detailed rebuttal to the investigation’s conclusions. It also offers a rationale for Förster’s decision not to post his data on the Internet. … Continue reading “I never manipulated data”: Förster defends actions in open letter

Remember William Hamman, the pilot who claimed to be a cardiologist? A retraction appears

In December, we reported on the case of William Hamman: It’s a mind-boggling story: A United Airlines pilot claims to be a cardiologist and was eagerly sought after for medical conferences at which he taught doctors teamwork. He shared millions in grants, according to the Associated Press. But as the AP reports, William Hamman wasn’t … Continue reading Remember William Hamman, the pilot who claimed to be a cardiologist? A retraction appears