The data never lies – but sometimes the men and women manipulating the data do. That’s what new research from online journal PLoS ONE finds. In the study,
2% of scientists admitted they had “fabricated” (made up), “falsified” or “altered” data to “improve the outcome” at least once, and up to 34% admitted to other questionable research practices including “failing to present data that contradict one’s own previous research” and “dropping observations or data points from analyses based on a gut feeling that they were inaccurate.”
The study authors also found that 14% of respondents said they knew someone who had fabricated, meaning that the two percent who owned up are either extremely popular, or the practice is even more widespread than the research indicates.
Fanelli D (2009) How Many Scientists Fabricate and Falsify Research? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Survey Data. PLoS ONE 4(5): e5738. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005738 View Full Article
