BMJ  2007;334:378-379 (24 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39129.611516.80

Editorials

Managing suspected research misconduct

Authors, editors, and systematic reviewers should protect the public from unsound research data

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

In this week's BMJ, Ian Roberts, Richard Smith, and Stephen Evans describe the worrying story of Dr Julio Cruz.¹ Cruz, a previously highly regarded medical researcher and clinician, committed suicide two years ago. Three of his publications about the use of high dose mannitol in head injury have recently been called into question. Furthermore, his coauthors and the editors of the journals in which the three papers were first published have failed to respond adequately to concerns raised about the integrity of the data in these papers.

These events have several important consequences. Many doctors base key treatment decisions on the results of published randomised trials. If some or all of Cruz's data on high dose mannitol are false, then doctors will be providing their critically ill patients with uncertain and possibly harmful treatment. In doing so, those doctors will also deny their patients other treatments that are based . . . [Full text of this article]

BMJ, London WC1H 9JR

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Smajdor, A, Sydes, M R, Gelling, L, Wilkinson, M (2009). Applying for ethical approval for research in the United Kingdom. BMJ 339: b4013-b4013 [Full text]  
• Bosch, X. (2007). Dealing with scientific misconduct. BMJ 335: 524-525 [Full text]  

Rapid Responses:

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Research misconduct in Complementary Medicine

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Finally, whose responsibility is it to protect the public from unsound research?

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bmj.com, 18 Mar 2007 [Full text]

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