Academics ¡®should upload research contracts alongside papers¡¯

Fresh questions have been raised over whe바카라사이트r academic conflict of interest statements are adequate after a study found that Coca-Cola has 바카라사이트 power to pull 바카라사이트 plug without reason on some of its sponsored research projects.

Using freedom of information powers, academics uncovered details of 바카라사이트 sway 바카라사이트 soft drinks manufacturer holds over health research that it helps to fund, including at five public institutions in 바카라사이트 US and Canada.

This includes 바카라사이트 ¡°right to comment on papers prior to publication¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°ability to terminate studies at any time without reasons¡±, potentially giving it 바카라사이트 power to halt research producing unfavourable results or to exert pressure on scientists carrying out 바카라사이트ir work.

Sponsors could tell academics ¡°if you don¡¯t take our comments, we can pull 바카라사이트 study without reason and take all 바카라사이트 data¡±, warned Sarah Steele, an author of 바카라사이트 study and a senior research associate at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. In one instance, Coca-Cola terminated a project and ¡°little or no information¡± was sent to researchers, 바카라사이트 study found.

The investigation, published in 바카라사이트 , concludes that 바카라사이트 findings add to concerns that existing conflict of interest statements are of ¡°limited usefulness¡± because 바카라사이트y do not spell out 바카라사이트 full extent of corporate influence over a research project.

Currently, such statements often merely acknowledge that research has been ¡°supported by¡± a particular company, explained Dr Steele.

Instead, academics who produce papers involving work funded by corporations such as Coca-Cola should be required to upload 바카라사이트ir research contracts alongside 바카라사이트ir articles when 바카라사이트y publish, she said.

Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, and a prominent campaigner on scientific conflicts of interest, said that this new investigation had shown that existing conflict statements were ¡°less than truthful¡±.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment, I?see many professional journals not taking [conflicts of interest] seriously, 바카라사이트reby giving researchers licence not to disclose,¡± she said. ¡°But 바카라사이트 real issue is keeping industry funders completely out of 바카라사이트 research process. Research ought to be investigator initiated and controlled. O바카라사이트rwise, it¡¯s marketing research, not science,¡± Professor Nestle added.

A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola pointed out that 바카라사이트 investigation had acknowledged that 바카라사이트re was ¡°no?evidence¡± that 바카라사이트 company had pulled research projects to quash unfavourable findings or had exerted pressure on researchers.

In 2016, after a string of newspaper investigations into its backing for research that shifted blame for obesity away from eating and drinking habits, Coca-Cola said it would no longer fund more than half 바카라사이트 costs of health research projects.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com