Search Results for: fraud

Lawyers call libel suit against journal and critic “lawless” but “well written”

A $10 million defamation suit filed by a Stanford University professor against a critic and a journal may be an assault on free speech, according to one lawyer, but at least it’s “well written.” Kenneth White, a lawyer at Southern California firm Brown White & Osborn who frequently blogs about legal issues related to free … Continue reading Lawyers call libel suit against journal and critic “lawless” but “well written”

Caught Our Notice: Ethics, data concerns prompt another retraction for convicted researchers

Title: Unravelling the influence of mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) on cognitive-linguistic processing: A comparative group analysis What Caught our Attention: RW readers might already be familiar with Caroline Barwood and Bruce Murdoch, two researchers from Australia who had the rare distinction of being criminally charged for research misconduct. Both Barwood and Murdoch received suspended sentences after being found guilty of multiple … Continue reading Caught Our Notice: Ethics, data concerns prompt another retraction for convicted researchers

A paper about eye damage in astronauts got pulled for “security concerns.” Huh?

Here’s a head-scratcher: A 2017 paper examining why long space flights can cause eye damage has been taken down, with a brief note saying NASA, which sponsored the research, asked for the retraction because of “security concerns.” According to the first author, the paper included information that could identify some of the astronauts that took … Continue reading A paper about eye damage in astronauts got pulled for “security concerns.” Huh?

Researcher dismissed from university for suspected misconduct denies responsibility

A university in Japan dismissed a researcher earlier this month after a probe uncovered evidence of image falsification in several of his papers. The immunology researcher, Masashi Emoto, denied any wrongdoing. He has said that the experiments in question were performed by another researcher and “he was not responsible” for the falsification. In 2013, Emoto … Continue reading Researcher dismissed from university for suspected misconduct denies responsibility

Weekend reads: No peer review crisis?; Fake conferences overwhelm real ones; Bullying vs. criticism

The week at Retraction Watch featured a retraction by a Nobel laureate, the eight excuses journal editors hear in responses to questions about data, and a description of a “disease” that affects many scientists. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Division director leaving U.S. research watchdog after nearly 15 years

The director of the Division of Investigative Oversight at the U.S. Office of Research Integrity is leaving the agency. Susan Garfinkel told Retraction Watch that her last day is November 10. She is taking a position as assistant vice president in the Office of Research Compliance at The Ohio State University (OSU). Garfinkel declined to … Continue reading Division director leaving U.S. research watchdog after nearly 15 years

Board member resigns from journal over handling of paper accused of plagiarism

A biologist is crying foul at a journal’s decision to correct (and not retract) a paper he claims plagiarized his work — and one of his colleagues has resigned from the journal’s editorial board as a result. The 2016 paper, published by Scientific Reports, is an application of a previously published algorithm designed to better … Continue reading Board member resigns from journal over handling of paper accused of plagiarism

Society recommends 9 retractions for co-author of researcher with record number of retractions

The Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists (JSA) has requested the retraction of nine additional papers by a co-author of fraudster Yoshitaka Fujii, after investigating allegations of fraud in dozens of papers. According to the report, a committee investigated approximately 40 publications by Yuhji Saitoh of Yachiyo Medical Center and Tokyo Women’s Medical University and “identified ten publications with clear … Continue reading Society recommends 9 retractions for co-author of researcher with record number of retractions

Weekend reads: Why critics criticize; a Big Bang Theory retraction; Nobels under scrutiny

The week at Retraction Watch featured admissions of fake data from a biotech company whose compound is now in clinical trials, a look at who recycles text, and the apparent demotion of a researcher who had a paper on video games retracted. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Can you spot a fake? New tool aims to help journals identify fake reviews

Fake peer reviews are a problem in academic publishing. A big problem. Many publishers are taking proactive steps to limit the effects, but massive purges of papers tainted by problematic reviews continue to occur; to date, more than 500 papers have been retracted for this reason. In an effort to help, Clarivate Analytics is unveiling a … Continue reading Can you spot a fake? New tool aims to help journals identify fake reviews