Suspected research fraud: difficulties of getting at the truth

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7511.281

BMJ 2005;331:281-288 (30 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7511.281

Education and debate

Suspected research fraud: difficulties of getting at the truth

Caroline White, freelance medical journalist¹

¹ London E17 4SQ cwhite@bmjgroup.com

When research misconduct is suspected and the researcher isworking outside the jurisdiction of official research bodies,there is nowhere for editors to turn. If they want to investigatetheir concerns, they are invariably forced to go it alone—alengthy, costly, and difficult process

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

In April 1992 the BMJ published a randomised controlled trialon the effects of dietary intervention to prevent further heartattacks in susceptible patients.¹ One of its key findings wasthat a year of a low fat, fibre rich diet almost halved therisk of death from all causes.

This study went on to become a "citation classic," cited 225times (at the time of writing), including in guidelines, andits lead author, Dr Ram B Singh, went on to publish many papersin other journals. During the process, he became the focus ofa concerted, but informal, international investigation intosuspicions of scientific misconduct and data fabrication, spanningwell over a decade.

Suspicions are raised

After the publication of his paper in April 1992, Dr Singh submittedanother study (manuscript 924479) to the BMJ in October thatyear. The study was a two year follow-up trial of the influenceof diet and . . . [Full text of this article]

Doubts are compounded

The need for an investigation

The request for cooperation from Singh

The first report

Mounting concerns

The need to resolve the unanswered questions

Singh is challenged

Some allegations are denied

The Indian investigation

The findings

The BMJ decides to go public

Calls for action

Singh's response to the BMJ's decision

What can editors do?

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

Technorati What's this?

Relevant Articles

Association between change in high density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality: systematic review and meta-regression analysis: Matthias Briel, Ignacio Ferreira-Gonzalez, John J You, Paul J Karanicolas, Elie A Akl, Ping Wu, Boris Blechacz, Dirk Bassler, Xinge Wei, Asheer Sharman, Irene Whitt, Suzana Alves da Silva, Zahira Khalid, Alain J Nordmann, Qi Zhou, Stephen D Walter, Noah Vale, Neera Bhatnagar, Christopher O’Regan, Edward J Mills, Heiner C Bucher, Victor M Montori, and Gordon H Guyatt
BMJ 2009 338: b92. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Profound ethical issues were smoothed over: Aubrey Blumsohn
BMJ 2007 335: 629. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Who will investigate suspected research misconduct?
BMJ 2005 331: 0. [Full Text]

The GMC: out of its depth?: Fiona Godlee
BMJ 2005 331: 0. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Investigating allegations of scientific misconduct: Jane Smith and Fiona Godlee
BMJ 2005 331: 245-246. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Expression of concern
BMJ 2005 331: 266. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Are these data real? Statistical methods for the detection of data fabrication in clinical trials: Sanaa Al-Marzouki, Stephen Evans, Tom Marshall, and Ian Roberts
BMJ 2005 331: 267-270. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Investigating the previous studies of a fraudulent author: Richard Smith
BMJ 2005 331: 288-291. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Secondary prevention in acute myocardial infarction: Niall A Herity, Rajendra H Mehta, Kim A Eagle, Roger Harrison, Michael Burr, Angus Nightingale, Andrew Marshall, Jørgen Fischer Hansen, and R D Rice
BMJ 1998 317: 1152. [Extract] [Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Briel, M., Ferreira-Gonzalez, I., You, J. J, Karanicolas, P. J, Akl, E. A, Wu, P., Blechacz, B., Bassler, D., Wei, X., Sharman, A., Whitt, I., Alves da Silva, S., Khalid, Z., Nordmann, A. J, Zhou, Q., Walter, S. D, Vale, N., Bhatnagar, N., O'Regan, C., Mills, E. J, Bucher, H. C, Montori, V. M, Guyatt, G. H (2009). Association between change in high density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality: systematic review and meta-regression analysis. BMJ 338: b92-b92 [Abstract] [Full text]
Harris, W. S. (2008). Cardiovascular Risk and {alpha}-Linolenic Acid: Can Costa Rica Clarify?. Circulation 118: 323-324 [Full text]
Blumsohn, A. (2007). Profound ethical issues were smoothed over. BMJ 335: 629-629 [Full text]
Zarraga, I. G.E., Schwarz, E. R. (2006). Impact of Dietary Patterns and Interventions on Cardiovascular Health. Circulation 114: 961-973 [Full text]
Colquhoun, D., Kostner, K., Ferreira-Jardim, A. (2006). Letter by Colquhoun et al Regarding Article "Effect Size Estimates of Lifestyle and Dietary Changes on All-Cause Mortality in Coronary Artery Disease Patients: A Systematic Review". Circulation 114: e40-e40 [Full text]
Wang, C., Harris, W. S, Chung, M., Lichtenstein, A. H, Balk, E. M, Kupelnick, B., Jordan, H. S, Lau, J. (2006). n-3 Fatty acids from fish or fish-oil supplements, but not {alpha}-linolenic acid, benefit cardiovascular disease outcomes in primary- and secondary-prevention studies: a systematic review. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 84: 5-17 [Abstract] [Full text]
Smith, R. (2006). Research misconduct: the poisoning of the well.. JRSM 99: 232-237 [Full text]
Sox, H. C., Rennie, D. (2006). Research Misconduct, Retraction, and Cleansing the Medical Literature: Lessons from the Poehlman Case. ANN INTERN MED 144: 609-613 [Abstract] [Full text]
Smith, J., Godlee, F. (2005). Investigating allegations of scientific misconduct. BMJ 331: 245-246 [Full text]
(2005). Expression of concern. BMJ 331: 266-266 [Full text]
Smith, R. (2005). Investigating the previous studies of a fraudulent author. BMJ 331: 288-291 [Full text]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Publishing raw data in the e-journal can prevent fraud: David J R Hutchon
bmj.com, 29 Jul 2005 [Full text]
Re: Raw data can also be manufactured: DEBABRATA BANDYOPADHYAY
bmj.com, 30 Jul 2005 [Full text]
Vigilence is required: Deborah J Verran
bmj.com, 30 Jul 2005 [Full text]
Skeletons in the cupboard: Naveen Kakkar
bmj.com, 31 Jul 2005 [Full text]
This is not trial by media?: Deepak Kejariwal
bmj.com, 1 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Shredded research data: Penny Mellor
bmj.com, 1 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Indian Research: Eddie vos
bmj.com, 1 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Re: Shredded research data: Lisa C Blakemore-Brown
bmj.com, 2 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Three distinct problems and three different solutions: Bruce G Charlton
bmj.com, 2 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Scientific Legitimacy in Question? A Constructive Approach: Fabien M De Meester
bmj.com, 3 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Publication culture!: Abhijit Bal
bmj.com, 2 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Re: Suspected research fraud: difficulties of getting at the truth - Three distinct problems and three different solutions: Arunachalam Kumar, et al.
bmj.com, 3 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Re: Re: Shredded research data: Richard W Doughty
bmj.com, 3 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Making comments by reviewers accesible to readers: Manas Kaushik
bmj.com, 4 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Is BMJ incompetent?: SS Agrawal
bmj.com, 4 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Fraud in scientific research and Paradise lost: Shyam S Kothari
bmj.com, 4 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Could investigative journalism help?: Arun Natarajan, et al.
bmj.com, 9 Aug 2005 [Full text]
East or West - Who is the Best ?: Daniel Pella
bmj.com, 9 Aug 2005 [Full text]
INVESTIGATING RESEARCH FRAUD - A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY: Victor Y Ameh
bmj.com, 9 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Editorial Bullying?: Damien Downing
bmj.com, 14 Aug 2005 [Full text]
Re: Editorial Bullying?: Joseph C Watine
bmj.com, 17 Sep 2005 [Full text]
Re. Editorial Bullying: Ravinder Reddy
bmj.com, 9 Oct 2005 [Full text]
Fraud and Deceit in Research: a Junior Doctor's Perspective: Shariha Khalid
bmj.com, 11 May 2006 [Full text]