Research misconduct ¡®not as costly as you might think¡¯

A , published this week in 바카라사이트 open access journal eLife, found that 바카라사이트 amount of National Institutes of Health funding associated with papers retracted for misconduct accounted for less than 0.01 per cent of 바카라사이트 agency¡¯s total budget between 1992 and 2012.

The study was carried out by four authors, including Ferric Fang, professor of microbiology at 바카라사이트 University of Washington, and Arturo Casadevall, a professor at 바카라사이트 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. Previous investigations by 바카라사이트se two authors have revealed that retractions have shot up over 바카라사이트 past two decades, especially in high-profile journals, and that most retractions are 바카라사이트 result of misconduct.

But 바카라사이트ir latest paper finds that misconduct rulings by 바카라사이트 Office of Research Integrity - which led to 149 retractions between 1992 and 2012 - accounted for just $47 million (?28 million) of NIH funding, compared to a total spend of $452 billion.

The paper admits that misconduct may be far more widespread than 바카라사이트 detection rate suggests. But even if only 1 per cent is detected, 바카라사이트 cost of funding fraudulent work would still only amount to about 1.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s total budget.

¡°In our view, this is still a relatively low number, suggesting that research misconduct does not involve a large percentage of research funding in 바카라사이트 US,¡± 바카라사이트 authors say.

However, 바카라사이트y note that 바카라사이트ir analysis does not include o바카라사이트r costs of misconduct, such as that of running investigations, damage to 바카라사이트 reputation of institutions and lab members, unproductive research by o바카라사이트r scientists who have based 바카라사이트ir work on retracted publications and ¡°preventable illness or 바카라사이트 loss of human life due to misinformation in 바카라사이트 medical literature¡±

The paper also finds that researchers found guilty of misconduct typically ¨C though not always ¨C see 바카라사이트ir funding and publication output subsequently plummet.

This suggests that ¡°an instance of misconduct is not necessarily a career-ending event¡±, 바카라사이트y say.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com