Search Results for: sting

We are judging individuals and institutions unfairly. Here’s what needs to change.

The way we rank individuals and institutions simply does not work, argues Yves Gingras, Canada Research Chair in the History and Sociology of Science, based at the University of Quebec in Montreal. He should know: In 1997, he cofounded the Observatoire des sciences et des technologies, which measures innovation in science and technology, and where he … Continue reading We are judging individuals and institutions unfairly. Here’s what needs to change.

Journal pulls plug on paper that predicts person’s death, against authors’ objections

Some people can look at an old photograph of a person — say, of your grandmother in elementary school — and tell whether the person is today alive or dead, according to a paper published last spring. If that sounds too weird to be true…well, it might be. The journal editors have retracted the paper for not having enough evidence to back … Continue reading Journal pulls plug on paper that predicts person’s death, against authors’ objections

Springer, BMC retracting nearly 60 papers for fake reviews and other issues

In a massive cleanup, Springer and BioMed Central announced today they are retracting 58 papers for several reasons, including manipulation of the peer-review process and inappropriately allocating authorship. The papers appeared in seven journals, and more are under investigation. In a release issued today, the publishers note:

Even top economists publish in predatory journals, study finds

Top-ranking economists sometimes publish papers in open access journals deemed potentially “predatory,” according to a new analysis. The findings contradict previous results that show that researchers who publish papers in “potential, possible, or probable” predatory journals (as defined by librarian Jeffrey Beall) are largely inexperienced. According to the study, 27 of the most eminent economists (within the top … Continue reading Even top economists publish in predatory journals, study finds

Can you plagiarize by mistake? In three papers?

An author who claimed that he accidentally plagiarized material in a retracted paper has lost two more — again, for plagiarism. Earlier this year, we shared a 900-word statement in which Christopher S. Collins at Azusa Pacific University explained he unintentionally plagiarized a paper by taking notes on it — including writing down whole sentences — and using them in his own … Continue reading Can you plagiarize by mistake? In three papers?

Australian court finds Parkinson’s researcher guilty of fraud

A court in Brisbane, Australia, has found Parkinson’s researcher Caroline Barwood guilty of two charges of fraud and three counts of attempted fraud. Barwood, 31, was formerly based at the University of Queensland (UQ). Released on bail in 2014, Barwood had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges. Yesterday, according to 9News, a jury found her guilty on … Continue reading Australian court finds Parkinson’s researcher guilty of fraud

Weekend reads: Why so much research is dodgy; why scientists should shun journals; ethical grey zones

The week at Retraction Watch featured a cancer researcher retracting 19 studies at once from a single journal, and the story of how a 7-year-old came to publish a paper. Here’s what was happening elsewhere:

Cancer paper flagged due to “credible” concerns over its reliability, journal says

A journal has issued an expression of concern (EOC) for a cancer study after the publisher received what it called a “credible” tip that its results may not be reliable. According to the EOC, published in RSC Advances, the paper is now under investigation. Here’s the EOC for “Filled and peptide-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes: synthesis, … Continue reading Cancer paper flagged due to “credible” concerns over its reliability, journal says

“The results were so perfect” — and now they’re being retracted

Recently, François-Xavier Coudert, a researcher at the Research Institute of Chemistry of Paris in France, noticed something strange: A nearly perfect image in a chemistry paper, with none of the typically expected “noise.” Last week, he started a thread on PubPeer, alerting readers to his concerns — namely, that a microscopy image showed hexagons with … Continue reading “The results were so perfect” — and now they’re being retracted