Misconduct Called Out on YouTube

A 6-minute video posted on YouTube documents more than 60 alleged cases of image manipulation from 24 papers by a single researcher.

Written byHannah Waters
| 1 min read

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FLICKR, SHARON HALL SHIPP

In the latest instance of the scientific process taking place over the internet, an anonymous internet-user has made a YouTube video exhibiting more than 60 purportedly manipulated images from 24 papers, complete with background music.

The whistleblower, who told ScienceInsider that he works in the life sciences and goes by the handle “Juuichi Jigen,” has created websites documenting misconduct by half a dozen Japanese researchers. And his efforts have paid off before. One University of Tokyo scientist called out by Jigen was found guilty of plagiarism and resigned from his post in 2010; another had several papers retracted.

The latest case focuses on work led by molecular endocrinologist Shigeaki Kato from the University of Tokyo. In the video, the images are presented as a series ...

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