How to Confront Scientific Misconduct
If you are a researcher at a university working on a new drug and the company with whom you collaborate sends you a publication for your approval. You request to see the raw data…
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Publishing Research
Increase your knowledge of the publication cycle and handling of journal rejection
Publication Ethics: Giving Credit where Credit Is Due
One basic element of publication ethics requires that an author give credit where credit is due, especially to those who contributed to the research. There are two ways to violate…
Understanding Measures of Journal Quality and Impact
Journals have differing recognition factors, which can be specific to a field or applicable across multiple disciplines. The quality and impact of the journal is usually apparent…
Are We Facing a Research Integrity Crisis?
Our dependence on research integrity in science is more critical than many are willing to acknowledge. The purity of the scientific method is presented as an uncompromising and…
How Should the Performance of Peer Reviewers be Assessed?
Serving Two Masters
Which elements should be considered as a metric for performance as a good peer reviewer? If we look at the process from the perspective of the manuscript, a…
What Should You Do When You Can’t Replicate a Study?
A Process Based on Assumptions!
When a replication study is commissioned, much of the initial work is based on a series of assumptions:
The initial study was conducted by…
Should Peer Reviewers Sign a Code of Ethics?
Increased Scrutiny of a Critical Process:
A Google search for “peer review best practices” will produce over 5,600 results, with numerous examples of detailed manuals and…
Were There Ever “Good Old Days” for Academic Research?
The Only Constant is Change
Any young scientist struggling with the competitive challenges of modern research can be forgiven for wondering if the “old days” of academic research…
Should a Peer Reviewer Be Paid?
Should a Peer Reviewer Choose Honor above Money?
The peer review process has always been considered to be a proud tradition in the academic community. Experienced and highly…
Why Are Journals So Slow to Retract Papers?
When Is a Paper Retraction Warranted?
The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) offers specific guidance as to when journal editors should consider retracting a publication:…
The Mixed Blessings of Search Algorithms as Research Tools
What is a Search Algorithm?
In layman’s terms, an algorithm is a set of coding instructions or rules for a computer to follow in completing a calculation or problem-solving…
Should Retractions Come with a Penalty?
What Is a Retraction?
The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) makes a distinction between three types of responses to questionable articles or papers:…