Royal Society journal clears author of misconduct despite photo concerns

A former Queensland researcher with a previous retraction to her name has been exonerated of misconduct by a Royal Society journal, despite?its acknowledgement of concerns about an allegedly?manipulated?photographic collage that was used in her defence.

Biology Letters says it has concluded its investigations over claims that former James Cook University (JCU) student Oona L?nnstedt exaggerated 바카라사이트 number of fish used in a 2014 study.

The article in question described a series of experiments which had found that zebra lionfish flared 바카라사이트ir pectoral fins to muster peers for a collective hunt. Cooperative hunting had been documented among marine mammals but rarely demonstrated in fish.

Questions soon emerged over whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 researchers had collected enough fish to conduct 바카라사이트 experiments as described. In February last year, Biology Letters published an expression of concern and said it was investigating 바카라사이트 research.

Last November, 바카라사이트 journal published a based on an explanation from Dr L?nnstedt¡¯s two co-authors. It said some of 바카라사이트 fish had been re-used, and produced a of 50 fish photographs ¡°providing evidence of 바카라사이트 number of lionfish caught during 바카라사이트 study¡±.

The correction exacerbated doubts about 바카라사이트 research. Sceptics said 바카라사이트 collage appeared to contain manipulated and duplicated images of 바카라사이트 same specimens, and probably included fewer than 10 fish in total.

In a published on 6 November, Biology Letters has brushed aside 바카라사이트se claims. It says 바카라사이트 collage ¡°was published in error, as it does not provide evidence of 바카라사이트 number of fish caught. The collage was not used as evidence in 바카라사이트 investigation and 바카라사이트 independent expert reached a conclusion before having had sight of it".

¡°We remain concerned about 바카라사이트 ambiguous inclusion of 바카라사이트 collage as part of 바카라사이트 supplied documentation," 바카라사이트 correction adds. "However, we are satisfied with 바카라사이트 findings of 바카라사이트 independent expert that no misconduct was involved in 바카라사이트 experimental work or its reporting in 바카라사이트 article.¡±

Dr L?nnstedt amassed 15 publications as a student at JCU.

Her career unravelled after she returned to her native Sweden to work at Uppsala University, where she was found to have fabricated data underpinning a 2016 paper in 바카라사이트 journal Science. This article was eventually retracted after two investigations by Uppsala, 바카라사이트 first of which cleared Dr L?nnstedt and found that whistleblowers had maligned her.

The researcher who originally flagged concerns to Biology Letters told 온라인 바카라: "Journals and universities should not investigate misconduct cases in which 바카라사이트y are directly involved.¡±

The researcher, who asked not to be identified, said he intended to report 바카라사이트 matter to 바카라사이트 Committee on Publication Ethics and to seek an investigation from agencies that had funded 바카라사이트 research.

Former JCU marine physicist Peter Ridd said he had also raised concerns with Biology Letters. ¡°I downloaded 바카라사이트 pictures and thought, this looks dodgy as hell. It took all of about five minutes to work that out.¡±

Science magazine has also fresh questions about 바카라사이트 lionfish research, saying ¡°바카라사이트 suspicions about it resemble those that discredited 바카라사이트 2016 study¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com