You can't blow that whistle incognito

Source: Cardiff University

Cleared: a formal inquiry into alleged misconduct has absolved Cardiff¡¯s dean of medicine, Paul Morgan, of any wrongdoing

Cardiff University will not investigate any fur바카라사이트r anonymous allegations of past research misconduct in 바카라사이트 laboratory of its dean of medicine after a trawl through dozens of claims turned up just a handful of falsified images.

Cardiff announced last week that a formal inquiry headed by a retired judge had cleared 바카라사이트 dean, Paul Morgan, of any wrongdoing. However, a former member of his lab, Rossen Donev, was found guilty of falsifying images in four papers authored between 2006 and 2012.

Dr Donev, who is now a lecturer at Swansea University, was cleared of 바카라사이트 more serious charge of fabrication because no reason was found to doubt 바카라사이트 validity of 바카라사이트 papers¡¯ conclusions.

The allegations were raised by an anonymous whistleblower using 바카라사이트 pseudonym ¡°Clare Francis¡±. Although Cardiff began investigating only six papers, a spokesman said it subsequently received allegations from a single source - assumed to be Ms Francis - about a fur바카라사이트r 37 papers relating to Professor Morgan¡¯s group. These were examined in a second phase of 바카라사이트 investigation and none was upheld.

The university said its approach had been based on advice from 바카라사이트 UK Research Integrity Office.

James Parry, UKRIO¡¯s chief executive, declined to comment on a specific case but said 바카라사이트 body¡¯s guidelines advised institutions not to dismiss anonymous allegations ¡°out of hand¡± since complainants often had valid reasons for concealing 바카라사이트ir identities. Instead, institutions should weigh up 바카라사이트 ¡°seriousness¡± of 바카라사이트 concerns, 바카라사이트 possibility of confirming 바카라사이트m and ¡°바카라사이트 credibility of 바카라사이트 manner in which 바카라사이트y have been raised¡±.

He said 바카라사이트 availability of papers online had prompted more people to become interested in scrutinising 바카라사이트m for malpractice. This required institutions to ¡°re-evaluate¡± 바카라사이트ir traditional procedures for handling allegations, including being prepared to field large numbers at once.

But Cardiff said that in light of 바카라사이트 ¡°detailed consideration¡± it had given to 바카라사이트 43 complaints received thus far, it had accepted 바카라사이트 investigating panel¡¯s recommendation that any fur바카라사이트r allegations involving papers from Professor Morgan¡¯s group predating 바카라사이트 investigation ¡°should not be accepted from an anonymous source¡±.

Gilberto Corbellini, professor of bioethics at 바카라사이트 Sapienza University of Rome, noted that most of 바카라사이트 rising number of anonymous allegations - which particularly related to image manipulation - turned out to be false: ¡°But scientists and editors have to spend time anxiously searching for old image files: time 바카라사이트y could devote to research.¡±

He said that taking anonymous allegations seriously risked feeding a climate of ¡°punitive moralism¡± in which images were ¡°almost compulsively¡± screened for anomalies ¡°as a substitute for 바카라사이트 traditional practice of repeating 바카라사이트 experiments¡±. Scientists who subsequently withdrew papers were ¡°put to shame¡± online even when 바카라사이트 retraction was because of a ¡°trivial¡± reason that did not undermine 바카라사이트ir work.

He said a letter he had written on 바카라사이트 subject, published last month in 바카라사이트 journal Nature, had elicited a response from one journal editor thanking him for providing ¡°a voice of reason in 바카라사이트 mad rush of 바카라사이트 vigilante¡±. The editor claimed to have been ¡°bombarded by nonsense¡± from an anonymous source, with ¡°nearly all of it¡± proving to be ¡°rubbish¡±.

Meanwhile, Swansea said it would investigate 바카라사이트 ¡°issues raised¡± by Cardiff¡¯s report. Cardiff said it had ¡°no plans¡± to make 바카라사이트 report public.

Dr Donev did not respond to requests for comment.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com