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In the middle of a pandemic, relevant scientific data reliable enough to support subsequent research and action are a precious commodity. Therefore, we are dismayed to note how easily flawed studies about coronavirus patients, derived from an opaque database provided by a company called Surgisphere, reached the pages of The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)—and went on to shape global policy about COVID-19 treatments. Ultimately, concerns about the legitimacy of the database led to the papers’ retractions and the reversal of some policy decisions based on them.
Were the publication of such flimsy data in international journals an infrequent or freak event, we could regret this incident and move on. However, this is clearly not the situation. Over the last few years, we have seen a dreary procession of cases where authors under pressure have admitted deception or fraud pertaining to the ...
