Subtropical Island
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
This is an article on the people who did the work to uncover the fraud (article by their own university). The actual study is published in Neurology 2016
There is a new article about the subject in the August 2018 issue of Science (link at the bottom of this article).
https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/...paign=atauckland_september&utm_term=news,fmhs
It strikes me that there is little in it for those who track down this sort of fabricated data except a desire to get rid of extraneous data in our understanding of medicine. I’m pleased to see that there are still researchers who get as ticked off by this as we are (if not more so: five years tracking down data on fraud is not a light undertaking).
If we keep letting statements be made, and shoddy or (as in this case) made up research to be published, we will never learn more about human health.
Forget breakthroughs and proof, give me real observations based on real data. It’s not sexy but life is more than the highlights.
There is a new article about the subject in the August 2018 issue of Science (link at the bottom of this article).
Academics work together to uncover mass scientific fraud
30 August 2018
Three University of Auckland academics worked tirelessly for over five years to uncover one of the biggest scientific frauds in history.
Associate Professors Mark Bolland and Andrew Grey, together with biostatistician Greg Gamble of the School of Medicine in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, spent thousands of hours combing over the papers of 33 research trials, more than 50 animal trials, and many other papers by a research group from Japan.
Dr Bolland says the issue of research fraud and faking results is extremely serious as it leads to people being treated based on evidence that is false. It also influences other scientists, doctors and academics on what avenues to follow for their own research.
...
“Inaccurate or fabricated findings distort the evidence which guidelines for treating people are based on, by exaggerating possible benefits from treatments, or even worse, promoting treatments that at best are ineffective, or at worst are actually harmful. The consequences of inaccurate research can persist for many years.”
...
This fraud is one of the biggest in scientific history, with more than 45 retracted papers to date, and likely many more to follow.
https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/...paign=atauckland_september&utm_term=news,fmhs
It strikes me that there is little in it for those who track down this sort of fabricated data except a desire to get rid of extraneous data in our understanding of medicine. I’m pleased to see that there are still researchers who get as ticked off by this as we are (if not more so: five years tracking down data on fraud is not a light undertaking).
If we keep letting statements be made, and shoddy or (as in this case) made up research to be published, we will never learn more about human health.
Forget breakthroughs and proof, give me real observations based on real data. It’s not sexy but life is more than the highlights.
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