Weekend reads: Jailed for speaking the truth; sexual harassment allegations at the Salk; children at risk in trials

Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured a debate over a flawed climate change paper, seven new … Continue reading Weekend reads: Jailed for speaking the truth; sexual harassment allegations at the Salk; children at risk in trials

Weekend reads: A new publishing scam; reproducibility as a political weapon; prosecuting predatory publishers

Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, we could really use your help. Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to support Weekend Reads, and our daily work? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured a neither-correction-nor-retraction that made no one happy, a debate over … Continue reading Weekend reads: A new publishing scam; reproducibility as a political weapon; prosecuting predatory publishers

That study reporting worrisome levels of zinc in tuna? It’s being retracted

Recently, a rash of news outlets posted concerns that canned tuna and other products may contain potentially dangerous levels of zinc. They were all wrong. News outlets such as The Daily Mail and The Sun reported findings from a recent study, which showed that canned foods such as tuna may contain 100 times the daily limit … Continue reading That study reporting worrisome levels of zinc in tuna? It’s being retracted

Research problems at Australian university hit the news

A university in Australia that’s made headlines before over allegations of research misconduct has found itself in the news once again. Last week, the University of Queensland (UQ) announced some of its authors were retracting a paper after discovering data were missing. Just days later, the university made headlines over an investigation into three papers … Continue reading Research problems at Australian university hit the news

“Youth Guru” loses turkey-neck paper that overlapped with book chapter

A prominent cosmetic surgeon and his daughter have lost a 2017 paper on treating men with excessive neck flab — otherwise known as “turkey neck” — because much of the work appears to have duplicated a book chapter he co-authored about the topic. The first author of the retracted article is Ronald L. Moy, a … Continue reading “Youth Guru” loses turkey-neck paper that overlapped with book chapter

Caught Our Notice: Forged email for corresponding author dooms diabetes paper

Title: Naringin Alleviates Diabetic Kidney Disease through Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Reaction What Caught Our Attention: PLOS ONE had a few reasons for retracting a 2015 paper about a treatment for kidney disease due to diabetes: For one, despite what the paper claims, the authors did not obtain ethical approval to conduct the reported … Continue reading Caught Our Notice: Forged email for corresponding author dooms diabetes paper

Weekend reads: Unauthorized vaccine trial leads to criminal investigation; outrage over a skeleton study; how much plagiarism is OK?

Before we present this week’s Weekend Reads, a question: Do you enjoy our weekly roundup? If so, would you consider a tax-deductible donation of $25, or a recurring donation of an amount of your choosing, to support it? Thanks in advance. The week at Retraction Watch featured a look at how likely it is for researchers who … Continue reading Weekend reads: Unauthorized vaccine trial leads to criminal investigation; outrage over a skeleton study; how much plagiarism is OK?

Caught Our Notice: JAMA warns readers about all of Brian Wansink’s papers in its journals

Titles: First Foods Most: After 18-Hour Fast, People Drawn to Starches First and Vegetables Last Fattening Fasting: Hungry Grocery Shoppers Buy More Calories, Not More Food Watch What You Eat: Action-Related Television Content Increases Food Intake Super Bowls: serving bowl size and food consumption Consequences of belonging to the “clean plate club” Preordering school lunch … Continue reading Caught Our Notice: JAMA warns readers about all of Brian Wansink’s papers in its journals

Caught Our Notice: Make love, not fake reviews — semen papers retracted

Titles:  1) Study of enzyme activities and protein content of beluga (Huso huso) semen before and after cryopreservation 2) Determination of some blood and seminal plasma ions in the beluga, Huso huso (Linnaeus, 1758) 3) Effects of multiple collections on spermatozoa quality of Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus: Motility, density and seminal plasma composition What Caught … Continue reading Caught Our Notice: Make love, not fake reviews — semen papers retracted

Child psychiatrist’s research was suspended “indefinitely” following probe

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) permanently suspended all research activities for a child psychiatrist years ago following an inquiry into her work, Retraction Watch has learned. In 2015, a UIC spokesperson told us the university had suspended Mani Pavuluri’s clinical research in 2013, after a child in one of her studies had been … Continue reading Child psychiatrist’s research was suspended “indefinitely” following probe