Weekend reads: Senator loses degree for plagiarism; bad colitis poetry; fraud on the big screen

The week at Retraction Watch featured papers by a fake author with a brilliant if profane name, and the unmasking of fraudster Diederik Stapel as a sock puppet. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

After 16 retractions, management professor Lichtenthaler resigns post

Ulrich Lichtenthaler, a management professor at the University of Mannheim who has had to retract 16 papers for data irregularities, has resigned his faculty position. According to a terse release from the university (translated from German):

Oxford group reverses authorship requirements for sharing data after questions from Retraction Watch

It seemed like an egregious violation of academic standards. A researcher forwarded us a data access agreement from the University of Oxford, in which Schedule 4 read as follows:

Nature, facing “considerable rise” in retractions, blames lawyers for opaque and delayed notices

Nature, as we and others have noticed, has had what Paul Knoepfler referred to as a “torrent” of retractions in the past two years. That torrent — 13 research papers — has prompted a welcome and soul-searching editorial, as it did in 2010 when the journal had what it called an “unusually large number” of … Continue reading Nature, facing “considerable rise” in retractions, blames lawyers for opaque and delayed notices

Molecular Vision retracts three papers from University of Georgia group with error-ridden images

Molecular Vision has issued “full retractions” for a trio of articles by a group of eye researchers. All of the articles were led by Azza El-Remessy, director of the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy’s clinical and therapeutic graduate program. As much as that is, there might be more still with this case. The first … Continue reading Molecular Vision retracts three papers from University of Georgia group with error-ridden images

Weekend reads: A journal that will publish anything, even fake; Wakefield loses defamation suit appeal

This week at Retraction Watch featured revelations about legal threats to PubPeer, and a swift expression of concern for a paper denying the link between HIV and AIDS. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Weekend reads: A scientific impostor, Retraction Watch comments lead to retractions

Here at Retraction Watch, the week featured the revelations of the peer reviews of an early version of the STAP stem cell paper, and an announcement about a new partnership. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Second study of widely touted cancer and HIV “cure” retracted

Last month, we brought you the story of the retraction of a paper by Nobutu Yamamoto and colleagues about “a protein being used — unapproved by health agencies — to treat diseases including cancer and autism.” A second paper by the group, about using the protein to treat HIV, has been retracted. Here’s the notice … Continue reading Second study of widely touted cancer and HIV “cure” retracted

Weekend reads: Women in science, creative peer review, is civil discourse about science still possible?

Another busy week at Retraction Watch. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Weekend reads: Dope-addicted doctors running drug trials; jailed for copyright violation?

Another busy week at Retraction Watch. Here’s what was happening elsewhere: “Why are dope-addicted, disgraced doctors running our drug trials?” asks Peter Aldhous. Could a biology student in Colombia be jailed for violating copyright?