Original blog post claiming the flaws:
https://forbetterscience.com/2024/01/02/dana-farberications-...
Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
11–20 of 56 posts
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do sometimes wonder if the same attributes that puts people at their top of their fields is the same atribute that makes them more willing to sacrifice their integrity for prestige... It seems like this just happens too frequently (or maybe it just appears that way because these are media reported).
I'm not sure what direction of causation you have in mind but as someone in academics (tenured professor etc) I think the answer is definitely yes. One thing that should be setting off alarm bells now is how often these scandals in the last couple of years have involved people who are in very high-level administrative positions at these institutions. Not only because of the values that might be instilled downward in…
> I have a theory that as some indicator of success deviates from a normal tail, there's more likely to be corruption or luck involved.
And/or abuse, coercion, and exploitation of others.
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#13I've been thinking about how with the rise of LLMs, we're going to uncover A LOT of "bad studies" over the next decade. Could be some sort of mass reckoning. Probably better to admit it all now than be uncovered in 5 years.
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#14I think the Crimson article mentioned in this article has better info about the actual details of the alleged manipulation: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/22/dana-farber-iss...
The original blog post alleging falsified data was published by Sholto David earlier this month: https://forbetterscience.com/2024/01/02/dana-farberications-...
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#15I think the Crimson article mentioned in this article has better info about the actual details of the alleged manipulation: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/22/dana-farber-iss...
It's confusing because some of the incidents had image manipulation, but apparently no evidence of deceit. Some others involved data collected at labs not belonging to the four authors accused. But there are six papers being retracted, but no real details in that article on who did what and what exactly happened there.
“No evidence of deceit” but the data show no effect while you accidentally published an image from some supposedly “early/exploratory” analysis that does show an effect.
What would be the evidence of deceit you’d expect to find here? A video of a monologue by the evil villain disclosing their intention to deceive readers because they believe no one will reproduce their analysis before they get their promotion?
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do sometimes wonder if the same attributes that puts people at their top of their fields is the same atribute that makes them more willing to sacrifice their integrity for prestige... It seems like this just happens too frequently (or maybe it just appears that way because these are media reported).
I'm not sure what direction of causation you have in mind but as someone in academics (tenured professor etc) I think the answer is definitely yes. One thing that should be setting off alarm bells now is how often these scandals in the last couple of years have involved people who are in very high-level administrative positions at these institutions. Not only because of the values that might be instilled downward in…
If you take incentivation to the extreme, look no further than the publishing criteria for academic positions in China.
https://www.nature.com/articles/463142a
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#17I think the Crimson article mentioned in this article has better info about the actual details of the alleged manipulation: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/1/22/dana-farber-iss...
I do sometimes wonder if the same attributes that puts people at their top of their fields is the same atribute that makes them more willing to sacrifice their integrity for prestige... It seems like this just happens too frequently (or maybe it just appears that way because these are media reported).
I can think of three former colleagues that have had very successful careers and that are also gifted liars (one stands out as also being a pathological liar.) None of them are ever going to be reported in the media.
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do sometimes wonder if the same attributes that puts people at their top of their fields is the same atribute that makes them more willing to sacrifice their integrity for prestige... It seems like this just happens too frequently (or maybe it just appears that way because these are media reported).
I'm not sure what direction of causation you have in mind but as someone in academics (tenured professor etc) I think the answer is definitely yes. One thing that should be setting off alarm bells now is how often these scandals in the last couple of years have involved people who are in very high-level administrative positions at these institutions. Not only because of the values that might be instilled downward in…
Academics with surprising results are rewarded with more fame, prestige, funding opportunities, etc. It's not a big surprise that people naturally cheat, in big or small ways.
The general public often think that academia is merit-based with the smartest being rewarded, but as you know it's a more complicated picture than that. You're not alone in your thinking; I'm pretty sure everyone in academia recognizes the problems. It's just that enough people benefit from the current incentive structures that the occasional scandal isn't enough for academics to reassess the predominant paradigm.
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#19I've been thinking about how with the rise of LLMs, we're going to uncover A LOT of "bad studies" over the next decade. Could be some sort of mass reckoning. Probably better to admit it all now than be uncovered in 5 years.
> For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Agreed that de-anonymizing will become trivial. This will be a problem not only for bad actors in research, journalism, creative writing, etc., but for internet commenters who believed they'd done due diligence to remain anonymous, and even for research participants who'd expected anonymity when signing their consent forms. We're rushing headlong into even stranger days!
Re: Harvard Teaching Hospital Seeks Retraction of 6 Papers by Top Researchers
#20I've been thinking about how with the rise of LLMs, we're going to uncover A LOT of "bad studies" over the next decade. Could be some sort of mass reckoning. Probably better to admit it all now than be uncovered in 5 years.
I would prioritize looking for financial and corporate fraud. It would have a much bigger impact on society than looking for any problems with academic studies. If we can take down those people and bar them from ever having anything to do with finance in the future, I think that would have an important impact on the ethics and behavior of the next generation.