Science Isn't Really Willing To Investigate Misconduct

Seven years ago, Jerome Jacobstein, a nuclear physician at Cornell University began to suspect what he thought was serious research misconduct on the part of colleague Jeffrey S. Borer. Borer, a cardiologist, was working with Jacobstein on studies of how the heart functions under stress. While reading a draft of a report on their work by a medical student under Borer’s direct supervision, Jacobstein discovered that much of the methodology was, he thought, inaccurately described, with the


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Seven years ago, Jerome Jacobstein, a nuclear physician at Cornell University began to suspect what he thought was serious research misconduct on the part of colleague Jeffrey S. Borer. Borer, a cardiologist, was working with Jacobstein on studies of how the heart functions under stress. While reading a draft of a report on their work by a medical student under Borer’s direct supervision, Jacobstein discovered that much of the methodology was, he thought, inaccurately described, with the inaccuracies tending to make the research appear to be more rigorous than it actually was. After hearing from the student that the inaccuracies had come from Borer, Jacobstein objected to the report, which was published without his name in the American Journal of Cardiology (51:1091-1097, 1983). Jacobstein also presented his evidence to Cornell authorities, who dismissed the charges after a brief inquiry lie then took the matter to NIH, where investigators deliberated for ...

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