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Scientific misconduct Scientific misconduct is the violation of the standard codes of scholarly method, scholarly conduct and ethics, ethical behavior in the publication of professional science, scientific research. It is the violation of scientific integrity: violati ...
is the violation of the standard codes of scholarly conduct and ethical behavior in the publication of professional
scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...
. A '' Lancet'' review on ''Handling of Scientific Misconduct in Scandinavian countries'' gave examples of policy definitions. In Denmark, scientific misconduct is defined as "intention lnegligence leading to fabrication of the scientific message or a false credit or emphasis given to a scientist", and in Sweden as "intention ldistortion of the research process by fabrication of data, text, hypothesis, or methods from another researcher's manuscript form or publication; or distortion of the research process in other ways." A 2009
systematic review A systematic review is a scholarly synthesis of the evidence on a clearly presented topic using critical methods to identify, define and assess research on the topic. A systematic review extracts and interprets data from published studies on ...
and
meta-analysis Meta-analysis is a method of synthesis of quantitative data from multiple independent studies addressing a common research question. An important part of this method involves computing a combined effect size across all of the studies. As such, th ...
of survey data found that about 2% of scientists admitted to falsifying, fabricating, or modifying data at least once. Incidents should only be included in this list if the individuals or entities involved have their own Wikipedia articles, or in the absence of an article, where the misconduct incident is covered in multiple reliable sources.


Biology and biomedical sciences

*
Bharat Aggarwal Bharat B. Aggarwal is an Indian-American biochemist. His research has been in the areas of cytokines, the role of inflammation in cancer, and the anti-cancer effects of spices and herbs, particularly curcumin (a chemical constituent of the spice ...
(US), a former Ransom Horne, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Cancer Research at the
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (colloquially MD Anderson Cancer Center) is a comprehensive cancer center and autonomous university of the University of Texas System in Houston, Texas. It is the largest cancer center in the w ...
, resigned his position after fraud was discovered in 65 papers published by him in the area of
curcumin Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical produced by plants of the ''Curcuma longa'' species. It is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric (''Curcuma longa''), a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is sold as a herbal supplement, cosmetic ...
as a treatment for cancer. As of 2024 Aggarwal has had 30 of his research papers retracted, with 10 others having received an expression of concern and 17 others having been corrected. *Anna Ahimastos (Australia) resigned from her position at Melbourne's Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in 2015 after admitting to fabricating data in a trial of the blood pressure drug
ramipril Ramipril, sold under the brand name Altace among others, is an ACE inhibitor type medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It can also be used as a preventative medication in patients over 55 y ...
that analyzed if ramipril could reduce pain in people with
peripheral artery disease Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a vascular disorder that causes abnormal narrowing of arteries other than those that supply the heart or brain. PAD can happen in any blood vessel, but it is more common in the legs than the arms. When narr ...
. As of 2025, Ahimastos has had nine of their research publications retracted. * Elias Alsabti (Iraq, US), was a medical practitioner who posed as a biomedical researcher. He plagiarized as many as 60 papers in the field of cancer research, many with non-existent co-authors. * Werner Bezwoda (South Africa), formerly of the
University of Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), commonly known as Wits University or Wits, is a multi-campus public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg, South Africa. The university has its roots in ...
, admitted to scientific misconduct in trials on high-dose chemotherapy on breast cancer, stating that he had "committed a serious breach of scientific honesty and integrity." * Joachim Boldt (Germany), an anesthesiologist formerly based at the Justus Liebig University Giessen, was stripped of his professorship and criminally investigated for forgery in his research studies. As of 2024, Boldt has had 220 of his research publications retracted, and 10 others have received an expression of concern. * C. David Bridges (US), an emeritus researcher at
Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
and formerly at
Baylor College of Medicine The Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is a private medical school in Houston, Texas, United States. Originally as the Baylor University College of Medicine from 1903 to 1969, the college became independent with the current name and has been se ...
, was found by a
NIH The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
investigation panel to have stolen ideas from a rival's manuscript that Bridges had been asked to review, and used that information to produce and publish his own research on eye enzymes. The investigating panel described Bridges' conduct as "an egregious misconduct of science that undermines the entire concept and practice of scientific experimentation and ethical responsibility", with NIH later stripping Bridges of his funding. * Silvia Bulfone-Paus (Germany, UK), an immunologist at the Research Center Borstel and a professor of immunobiology at the
University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...
, has had 13 of her publications retracted following investigations of scientific misconduct involving image manipulation. *
Cyril Burt Sir Cyril Lodowic Burt, Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (3 March 1883 – 10 October 1971) was an English educational psychology, educational psychologist and geneticist who also made contributions to statistics. He is known for his studies o ...
was accused posthumously of faking statistics in I.Q. studies, and of inventing two co-authors in questionable papers he had published. * Ranjit Chandra (Canada), former nutrition researcher at
Memorial University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland, or MUN (), is a Public university, public research university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook ...
and self-proclaimed "father of nutritional immunology", was in 2015 stripped of his
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
membership following accusations of scientific wrongdoing in his research. In 2015 Chandra lost a $132 million case against the
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
, which in 2006 presented a documentary in which 10 of Chandra's publications were identified as "fraudulent or highly suspicious"; Chandra was ordered to pay the CBC $1.6 million to cover the defendant's legal fees. As of 2020 four of Chandra's research publications have been retracted. * Ching-Shih Chen (US), the former chair of cancer research at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, was investigated by OSU and the federal Office of Research Integrity after being anonymously reported for falsifying data. The investigation found that Chen mishandled images and figures in published papers, "intentionally falsified data", and did not keep any laboratory notebooks on his research, a violation of federal research policies. As of 2024 Chen has had ten research publications retracted, two other papers have received an expression of concern, and five other papers have been corrected. * Lorenza Colzato (Italy, Netherlands), a former
Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince of Orange as a Protestantism, Protestant institution, it holds the d ...
researcher, was found in 2022 to have conducted fraud in at least 15 published studies, including making changes to the research design, adding control groups afterward, and omitting data. Colzato was first accused of fraud in 2019, when she was found to have illegally withdrawn blood from test subjects and had two of her publications retracted as a result. As of 2023 Colzato has had eight of her research publications retracted and two others have received an expression of concern. * Carlo M. Croce (US), an oncologist and professor of medicine at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, has been the subject of several allegations of scientific misconduct, including data falsification, and related institutional investigations. Croce, who has been described as a "serial plaintiff", has filed lawsuits against critics, including a defamation claim against ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' that in 2018 was dismissed, a defamation lawsuit he lost against David Sanders of
Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
and a lawsuit he lost against Ohio State University to reclaim a department chair position from which he was removed. As of 2024, 15 of Croce's research publications have been retracted, five others have received an expression of concern, and 23 others have been corrected. * Andrew Jess Dannenberg (US), a physician and cancer researcher formerly associated with
Weill Medical College Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Ne ...
at
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
, had several of his published papers retracted in 2020 due to irregularities in the figures, and in 2022 additional publications were retracted due to "evidence of data falsification or fabrication." As of 2023 Dannenberg has had 20 of his research publications retracted, with two other publications receiving an expression of concern. * John Darsee (US), a cardiologist formerly based at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, fabricated data in published research articles and more than 100 abstracts and book chapters. In 1983 Darsee was disbarred for ten years by the US
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
. Darsee has had at least 17 of his publications retracted. * Dipak Das (US), former director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the
University of Connecticut Health Center UConn Health is a healthcare system and hospital, and branch of the University of Connecticut that oversees clinical care, advanced biomedical research, and academic education in medicine. The system is funded directly by the State of Connecticut ...
, was found in a University investigation to be guilty of 145 counts of fabrication or falsification of research data. As of 2023, Das has had 23 of his research publications retracted. *
Masoumeh Ebtekar Masoumeh Ebtekar (; born 21 September 1960) is an Iranian politician. A Reformist, she headed the country's Department of Environment from 1997 to 2005 and again from 2013 to 2017, after which she served as the Vice President for Women and ...
(Iran), head of the Iranian Department of Environment at
Tarbiat Modares University Tarbiat Modares University (: ''Dāneshgāh-e Tarbiyat Modarres'', lit. "Professor Training University") is a graduate public university located in Tehran, Iran. Faculties Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) was established in 1982 and is a comp ...
in Tehran, substantially plagiarized several previously-published articles in a 2006 paper that was later retracted. * Terry Elton (US), Professor of Pharmacology at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
, was found guilty in 2013 of scientific misconduct by both a University committee and the
Office of Research Integrity The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is a U.S. government agency that focuses on research integrity, especially in health. It was created when the Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of ...
. Elton has had seven of his publications retracted. * Yoshitaka Fujii (Japan), an anesthesiologist, was found to have fabricated data in at least 183 scientific papers, setting what is believed to be a record for the number of papers by a single author requiring retractions. A committee reviewing 212 papers published by Fujii over a span of 20 years found that 126 were entirely fabricated, with no scientific work done. Only 3 were found to be valid. He was also found to have forged the signatures of scientists he listed as co-authors without their knowledge. As of 2023, Fujii has had 182 of their research publications retracted, and 47 others have received an expression of concern. * Dong-Pyou Han (US), former assistant professor of biomedical sciences at
Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...
, added human antibodies to samples of rabbit blood in an effort to falsely enhance the utility of an experimental HIV vaccine. In 2015 Han was sentenced to nearly five years in prison and ordered to return $7.2 million to the
NIH The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
. *
Elizabeth Holmes Elizabeth Anne Holmes (born February 3, 1984) is an American biotechnology entrepreneur who was convicted of fraud in connection with her blood-testing company, Theranos. The company's valuation soared after it claimed to have revolutionize ...
, biotech entrepreneur and founder of the medical diagnostic company
Theranos Theranos Inc. () was an American privately held corporation that was touted as a breakthrough health technology company. Founded in 2003 by then 19-year-old Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos raised more than US$700 million from venture capitalists an ...
, was convicted for fraud and in November 2022 sentenced to serve 11 years in prison. *Many major trials of the drug
ivermectin Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, it is used to treat infestations including head lice ...
that claimed it could prevent COVID-19 were found to show signs of fraud and had "either obvious signs of fabrication or errors so critical they invalidate the study," according to one of the groups investigating the studies. For example, some studies were found to list patients who had never actually participated in the research, and others placed patients who were already statistically more likely to die in the placebo group while putting the healthier patients in the experimental group that received ivermectin. Studies that were found to contain legitimate research were generally inconclusive about the effects of ivermectin on COVID-19. *
He Jiankui He Jiankui ( zh, s=贺建奎, p=Hè Jiànkuí ; born 1984) is a Chinese biophysicist known for his controversial first use of genome editing in humans. He served as associate professor of biology at the Southern University of Science and ...
(China), former associate professor with the
Southern University of Science and Technology The Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) is a municipal public university in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It is owned and funded by the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government. In 2022, there were over 10,000 students enrolled. Th ...
, was in 2019 sentenced to three years in prison and fined three million yuan (about US$430,000) for illegally carrying out human embryo gene-editing intended for reproduction. The case is called the
He Jiankui affair The He Jiankui genome editing incident is a scientific and bioethical controversy concerning the use of genome editing following its first use on humans by Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who edited the genomes of human embryos in 2018. He becam ...
. * Woo-suk Hwang (Hwang Woo-suk) (South Korea), former Professor of Biotechnology at
Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the SKY (universities), SKY universities and a part of the Flagship Korean National Universities. The university's main c ...
, was found by a University committee to have committed "deliberate fabrication" in his research on stem cells, and to have coerced female members of his research team to donate their eggs. The incidence is known as the Hwang affair. In 2009 Hwang was found guilty by the Seoul Central District Court of embezzlement and bioethical violations in connection to his research program. *
Sophie Jamal Abida Sophie Jamal (born on 6 June 1966) is a Canadian endocrinologist and former osteoporosis researcher who was at the centre of a scientific misconduct case in the mid-to-late 2010s. Jamal published a high-profile paper suggesting that the h ...
(Canada), former Professor of Medicine at
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
and former staff
endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...
at
Women's College Hospital Women's College Hospital is a teaching hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in downtown Toronto at the north end of Hospital Row, a section of University Avenue where several major hospitals are located. It currently functions ...
, Toronto, falsified data from studies of
nitroglycerin Nitroglycerin (NG) (alternative spelling nitroglycerine), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by ...
compounds in
osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to more porous bone, and consequent increase in Bone fracture, fracture risk. It is the most common reason f ...
. Results published in the ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' (''JAMA'') in 2011 were retracted by the Journal in 2016. In 2016 Jamal received a lifetime funding ban from the
Canadian Institutes of Health Research The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; ; IRSC) is a federal agency responsible for funding health and medical research in Canada. Comprising 13 institutes, it is the successor to the Medical Research Council of Canada. CIHR supports ...
and in 2018 her license to practice medicine was revoked by the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is the regulatory college for medical doctors in Ontario, Canada. The college issues certificates of registration for all doctors to allow them to practise medicine as well as: monitors ...
. Jamal has had four of her research publications retracted. * Abderrahmane Kaidi, Senior Lecturer in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...
, was accused of misconduct towards his research team. In 2018, the university investigated the case and with it found out that he had also made fake research data, which he admitted were to impress other scientists for collaboration and were not for publication. He resigned from the university. The University of Cambridge also investigated his research as a postdoctoral scholar at the Gurdon Institute from where he published several research papers on DNA damage. Two journals, ''
Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
'' and ''
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
'' retracted one article each, written with his mentor
Stephen Jackson Stephen Jesse Jackson (born April 5, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors, Mi ...
, published in 2010 and 2013 respectively, simultaneously on 11 April 2019 following evidence of data fabrications. * Shigeaki Kato (Japan), a former professor at the
University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...
, has been confirmed responsible for misconduct in 33 papers on
nuclear receptor In the field of molecular biology, nuclear receptors are a class of proteins responsible for sensing steroids, thyroid hormones, vitamins, and certain other molecules. These intracellular receptors work with other proteins to regulate the ex ...
s. Most of the fabrications were discovered on an anonymous bulletin board
2channel , also known as 2ch, Channel 2, and sometimes retrospectively as 2ch.net, was an anonymous Japanese textboard founded in 1999 by Hiroyuki Nishimura. Described in 2007 as "Japan's most popular online community", the site had a level of influe ...
, and the information was spread by anonymous individual(s). As of 2024, Kato has had 40 research publications retracted, and three others have received an expression of concern. (See Japanese scientific misconduct allegations.) * Kim Tae-kook (South Korea), formerly of the
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology KAIST (originally the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) is a national university, national research university located in Daedeok Innopolis, Daejeon, South Korea. KAIST was established by the Korean government in 1971 as the ...
, falsified research on modulating cellular proteins with the synthetic compound CGK733. * Gideon Koren (Canada), former Director of the Motherisk Program at
The Hospital for Sick Children ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
in Toronto, published an article without the informed consent of co-author
Nancy Olivieri Nancy Fern Olivieri (born 1954) is a prominent Toronto haematologist and researcher with an interest in the treatment of haemoglobinopathies. She is best known for a protracted struggle with the The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Hospital fo ...
, and sent her anonymous harassing letters. A December 2018 article in ''The Toronto Star'' reported apparent problems in more than 400 papers coauthored by Koren, including "inadequately peer-reviewed, failed to declare, and perhaps even obscure, conflicts of interest, and, in a handful of cases, contain lies about the methodology". Koren has threatened a defamation lawsuit against the editor of ''Therapeutic Drug Monitoring'' for retracting one of Koren's papers. As of 2022 Koren has had six of his research publications retracted, three others have received an expression of concern, and four others have been corrected. * Steven A. Leadon (US), former professor of radiation oncology and head of the molecular radiobiology program at the
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
, falsified and fabricated data in his research on DNA repair. Leadon has had seven of his research papers retracted. * Annarosa Leri (US, Italy) and Piero Anversa (US, Italy), collaborators and former researchers at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, were found in a 2014 investigation to have "manipulated and falsified" data in their research on endogenous cardiac stem cells, and to have included "false scientific information" in grant applications; these events resulted in
Partners HealthCare Mass General Brigham (MGB) (formerly Partners HealthCare) is a not-for-profit, integrated health care system that engages in medical research, teaching, and patient care. It is the largest hospital-based research enterprise in the United States, ...
and
Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH or The Brigham) is a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two ...
paying a $10 million settlement to the US government, and pausing a clinical trial based on Anversa and Leri's work. In October 2018, following many failed replications of their work, Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital called for the retraction of 31 publications from the Anversa/Leri research group. Anversa and Leri lost a lawsuit they brought against Harvard that claimed the 2014 investigation had damaged their reputations. As of 2024, Anversa and Leri have had 19 research publications retracted, 17 others have received an expression of concern, and 12 others have been corrected. * Sylvain Lesné (France, US), a neuroscientist, co-authored a study in ''
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
'' proposing that a specific amyloid-beta protein assembly, Aβ*56, impairs memory and contributes to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. In 2024, ''
Nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...
'' retracted this paper after investigations revealed manipulated images, with co-authors Michela Gallagher and Karen H. Ashe agreeing to the retraction, while Lesné disagreed. The story was revealed in 2022 by Charles Piller in ''
Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
'', based upon investigations by Matthew Schrag, a neuroscientist and physician at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
. This narrative is a key component of Piller's 2025 book ''Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's''. *
Paolo Macchiarini Paolo Macchiarini (born 22 August 1958) is a thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher who became known for research fraud and manipulative behavior. He was convicted of research-related crimes in Italy and Sweden. Previou ...
(Sweden, Italy), a thoracic surgeon and researcher formerly at the
Karolinska Institutet The Karolinska Institute (KI; ; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden and one of the foremost medical research institutes globally. ...
, was in 2017 found by an ethics review board to have committed research misconduct, including false claims of clinical success and falsely claiming ethical approval for his surgical interventions, in his work on the surgical implantation of artificial trachea seeded with patients' own stem cells. The review board recommended that six of Macchiarini's publications be retracted. As of 2024, Macchiarini has had 12 of his research papers retracted, four others have received an expression of concern, and three others have been corrected. * Johnny Matson (US), former professor of psychology at
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, who was criticized starting in 2015 for his peer review practices as a journal editor, in 2023 had 24 of his research papers retracted because of undisclosed conflicts of interest, duplicated methodology, and a compromised peer-review process. * William McBride (Australia), a physician who discovered the teratogenicity of
thalidomide Thalidomide, sold under the brand names Contergan and Thalomid among others, is an oral administered medication used to treat a number of cancers (e.g., multiple myeloma), graft-versus-host disease, and many skin disorders (e.g., complication ...
, was found by an Australian medical tribunal to have "deliberately published false and misleading scientific reports and altered the results of experiments" on the effects of Debendox/
Bendectin Pyridoxine/doxylamine, sold under the brand name Diclectin among others, is a combination of pyridoxine hydrochloride ( vitamin B6) and doxylamine succinate. It is generally used for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (morning sickness); even tho ...
on pregnancy. * Moon Hyung-in (South Korea), former Professor in the Department of Medicinal Biotechnology at Dong-A University (South Korea), used false names and email addresses to "peer review" his own research publications. Moon has had 35 of his research publications retracted. * H.M. Krishna Murthy (US), a protein crystallographer and former research associate professor at the
University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than ...
, was found in 2009 by a University committee to be "solely responsible for ... fraudulent data" on protein structures published in nine papers. In 2018 the
United States Office of Research Integrity The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is a U.S. government agency that focuses on research integrity, especially in health. It was created when the Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of ...
placed a 10-year ban on Federal funding for Murthy. As of 2020 ten of Krishna Murthy's publications have been retracted, and two others have received an expression of concern. * Haruko Obokata (Japan) formerly of
RIKEN is a national scientific research institute in Japan. Founded in 1917, it now has about 3,000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, including the main site at Wakō, Saitama, Wakō, Saitama Prefecture, on the outskirts of Tokyo. Riken is a ...
and
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, falsified data in the widely publicized STAP cell fraud. As of 2021, Obokata has had four of her research publications retracted. * Luk Van Parijs (US), Associate Professor at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(MIT) fabricated and falsified data in research papers, unpublished manuscripts, and grant applications. He was convicted in 2011 of making a false statement on a federal grant application. Parijs has had five research publications retracted. * Milena Penkowa (Denmark), a neuroscientist and former professor at the Panum Institute of the
University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (, KU) is a public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia, after Uppsala University. ...
, was in 2010 convicted of fraud and embezzlement of research funds, and in 2012 was found to have committed "deliberate scientific malpractice". In 2017 the University of Copenhagen revoked Penkowa's doctoral degree. As of 2020 Penkowa has had nine of her research publications retracted, and four others have received an expression of concern. * Eric Poehlman (US), a former Professor in the Department of Medicine at the
University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...
, was convicted in 2005 of grant fraud after falsifying data in as many as 17 grant applications between 1992 and 2000. He was the first academic in the United States to be jailed for falsifying data in a grant application. Poehlman has had seven of his publications retracted. *
Anil Potti Anil Potti is a physician and former Duke University associate professor and cancer researcher, focusing on oncogenomics. He, along with Joseph Nevins, are at the center of a research fabrication scandal at Duke University., ''60 Minutes'', CBS ...
(US), a former Associate Professor of Medicine at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, engaged in scientific misconduct "by including false research data in ... published papers, submitted manuscript, grant application, and the research record." Potti's misconduct resulted in the suspension of three clinical trials based on his research and a lawsuit filed against Duke by patients enrolled in those studies. As of 2021 Potti has had 11 of their research publications retracted, and one other paper has received an expression of concern. * Jonathan Pruitt (US, Canada), a behavioral ecologist formerly at
McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...
, has been accused of using fabricated data in several research publications, with a group of over 20 scientists finding evidence of manipulated or fabricated numbers in several of Pruitt's publications. In 2021 Pruitt had his doctoral dissertation withdrawn by the University of Tennessee Knoxville. As of 2024 Pruitt has had 16 of his research publications retracted, 11 other papers have received an expression of concern, and four other papers have been corrected. *
Didier Raoult Didier Raoult (; born 13 March 1952) is a retired French physician and microbiologist specialising in infectious diseases. He taught about infectious diseases at the Faculty of Medicine of Aix-Marseille University (AMU), and in 1984, created ...
(France), a physician and microbiologist formerly at
Aix-Marseille University Aix-Marseille University (AMU; ; formally incorporated as ) is a Public university, public research university located in the Provence region of southern France. It was founded in 1409 when Louis II of Anjou, List of rulers of Provence, Count of ...
, was accused of illegally conducting clinical experiments without proper approval from his university's ethics committee., and several of his publications have been reported for concerns of image duplication and image fabrication. As of 2025 Raoult has had 40 of his research publications retracted, making him the 19th most retracted scientist in the world Another 156 of his publications have received an expression of concern. *
Scott Reuben Scott S. Reuben (born 1958) is an American anesthesiologist who falsified data heralding the benefits of the Pfizer pain medication Celebrex while downplaying its negative side effects. He was Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at ...
(US), a former Professor of Anesthesiology at
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
, falsified and fabricated clinical trials involving painkiller medications. Reuben pleaded guilty in 2010 to one count of health care fraud and was sentenced to six months in prison. As of 2023 Reuben has had 25 of his research publications retracted. * Steven S. Rosenfeld (US), a former Harvard undergraduate, forged
letters of recommendation Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech or none in the case of a silent letter; any of the symbols of an alphabet * Letterform, the g ...
for himself in the name of David Dressler, whose laboratory he used. His research on transfer factor, on which two articles were published in the ''
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Scie ...
'' and one article in ''
Annals of Internal Medicine ''Annals of Internal Medicine'' is an academic medical journal published by the American College of Physicians (ACP). It is one of the most widely cited and influential specialty medical journals in the world. ''Annals'' publishes content releva ...
'', could not be successfully replicated by other scientists. * Alfred Steinschneider (US), a medical doctor formerly based at Upstate Medical University, in 1972 developed the theory, published in the journal ''
Pediatrics Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many o ...
'' that
SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sometimes known as cot death or crib death, is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and ...
was caused by prolonged
sleep apnea Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...
, although none of his research or research conducted subsequently by others supported the theory. The case-study upon which Steinschneider's theory was based was later revealed to involve
infanticide Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants or offspring. Infanticide was a widespread practice throughout human history that was mainly used to dispose of unwanted children, its main purpose being the prevention of re ...
committed by the mother, with Steinschneider allegedly having ignored evidence and reports that the children were being abused. In 1997 the editor of ''Pediatrics'',
Jerold Lucey Jerold Francis Lucey (March 26, 1926 – December 10, 2017) was an American pediatrician and journal editor. He specialized in the field of neonatology, and introduced several therapies to mainstream use in the United States, including phototherap ...
, stated that Steinschneider's original paper on the subject was "seriously flawed" and should not have been published. * Marc Straus (US), former Chief of Oncology and Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University Medical Center, in 1982 admitted to "serious deficiencies", including the use of false data, in research studies he supervised. He also admitted to using ineligible patients in his studies, administering drug dosages different from those in his plan, and not assuring compliance with rules of informed consent. * Jon Sudbø (Norway), an oncologist and former Associate Professor at the
University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...
, was found in a 2006 investigation to have manipulated and fabricated data in grant applications and 15 of his research papers. As of 2023 Sudbø has had 14 of his publications retracted, and one other publication has received an expression of concern. *
William Summerlin William T. Summerlin (born 1938) is a dermatologist and medical researcher who engaged in scientific fraud involving his claims of successful skin transplantation without immunosuppression. Scientists were unable to replicate Summerlin's results ...
(US), a dermatologist formerly at
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute– designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Its main campus is ...
, in 1974 committed scientific misconduct in his work on transplant immunology. It was from this case that the phrase "painting the mice" originated as a synonym for research fraud. * Marc Tessier-Lavigne, a neuroscientist, was the President of
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
. In 2022, the Stanford board of trustees opened an investigation into allegations that Tessier-Lavigne might have been involved in fabricating results in articles published between 2001 and 2008, when he was working at
Genentech Genentech, Inc. is an American biotechnology corporation headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It operates as an independent subsidiary of holding company Roche. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as an independent cent ...
. In July 2023, the trustees' report was released, finding that in several papers he co-authored "there was apparent manipulation of research data by others." Tessier-Lavigne then announced that he would be stepping down as president of Stanford, effective August 31, 2023. As of 2024, Tessier-Lavigne has had four research publications retracted, and five others have received an expression of concern. *
Andrew Wakefield Andrew Jeremy Wakefield (born 3 September 1956) is a British fraudster, anti-vaccine activist, and disgraced former physician. He was struck off the medical register for "serious professional misconduct" due to his involvement in the fraudu ...
(UK), a former surgeon and senior lecturer at the
Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barnet Ho ...
in London, was found guilty of dishonesty in his research on the MMR vaccine and banned from medicine by the UK
General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of physician, medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the pu ...
following an investigation by Brian Deer of the ''
Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
''. Wakefield's claims of a link between the
MMR vaccine The MMR vaccine is a vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles), abbreviated as ''MMR''. The first dose is generally given to children around 9 months to 15 months of age, with a second dose at 15 months to 6 years of age, w ...
,
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
and
inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine, with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC) being the principal types. Crohn's disease affects the small intestine and large intestine ...
have been reported in the ''
British Medical Journal ''The BMJ'' is a fortnightly peer-reviewed medical journal, published by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, which in turn is wholly-owned by the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world ...
'' as "based not on bad science but on a deliberate fraud", and the 1998 paper originally presenting his theory was retracted in 2010 by ''
The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication. The journal publishes ...
''. Wakefield was unsuccessful in an attempt to sue detractors/critics for libel and defamation. Wakefield has had two papers retracted and one corrected. *
Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories (IBT Labs) was an American industrial product safety testing laboratory. IBT conducted significant quantities of research for pharmaceutical companies, chemical manufacturers and other industrial clients; at its h ...
fabricated research data to the extent that upon FDA analysis of 867 studies, 618 (71%) were deemed invalid, including many of which were used to gain regulatory approval for widely used household and industrial products. * The company Surgisphere claimed to have hospital data which was used to support studies of the effectiveness of
hydroxychloroquine Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where malaria remains sensitive to chloroquine. Other uses include treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, an ...
in treating COVID-19. Papers in the ''Lancet'' and ''New England Journal of Medicine'' were retracted in June 2020 when the data was found to be implausible. *The National Centre for Biological Sciences, one of India's top research institutes and part of the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is a leading research Institute under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India. It is a public deemed university located at Navy Nagar, Colaba in Mumbai. It also has a centres in ...
, retracted one of its breakthrough scientific papers in 2021 describing the discovery of iron-sensing
RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA). RNA and deoxyrib ...
after its findings and images were found to be manipulated. * Eliezer Masliah (US), head of the Division of Neuroscience at the
National Institute on Aging The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIA itself is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand ...
, was suspected in 2024 of having manipulated and inappropriately reused images in over 100 scientific papers spanning several decades, including those that were used by the FDA to greenlight testing for the experimental drug prasinezumab as a treatment for Parkinson's.
Berislav Zlokovic
(Serbia, US), a prominent neuroscientist at the University of Southern California, was placed on leave in 2023 amid concerns of scientific misconduct. Investigations revealed that several of his studies, which had generated promising data on Alzheimer's and stroke treatments, were under scrutiny for potential data manipulation. These studies formed the basis for drugs developed by ZZ Biotech, a company co-founded by Zlokovic. The allegations raised significant concerns about the validity of the research and the efficacy of the associated treatments. This narrative is a key component of Charles Piller's book, Doctored, which was published in 2025. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_F._Kelly


Chemistry

* Leo Paquette (US), an Ohio State University professor, plagiarized sections from an unfunded NIH grant application for use in his own NIH grant application. He also plagiarized a NSF proposal for use in one of his scientific publications. * Kenichiro Itami (Japan), Nagoya University professor, and other members of his laboratory committed scientific misconduct in the graphene nanoribbon fraud. As a result of that misconduct, in 2022 Itami and the other implicated lab members were banned from receiving research support from the
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science The is an Independent Administrative Institution in Japan, established for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science in all fields of the natural and social sciences and the humanities.JSPSweb page History The Japan Society f ...
for at least three years. As of 2023, Itami has had three of his research publications retracted, one other paper has received an expression of concern, and one other paper has been corrected. Itami was held responsible, and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), which determine the allocation of government research funds, have stopped granting research funds as a penalty until the end of March 2025 from the university. Despite this,
RIKEN is a national scientific research institute in Japan. Founded in 1917, it now has about 3,000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, including the main site at Wakō, Saitama, Wakō, Saitama Prefecture, on the outskirts of Tokyo. Riken is a ...
, which is funded mainly by research fees from the government, hired Itami and obtained about 50 million yen in research funding. He pioneered a loophole that allowed him to obtain research funding by belonging to a national research corporation even if his research funding from the government was suspended due to research misconduct. * The independent misconduct of two chemists at the William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute in Massachusetts caused the drug lab to be shut down and tens of thousands of criminal convictions for drug possession to be overturned. Annie Dookhan admitted to faking test results and adulterating samples to make them consistent with her desired results. Sonja Farak admitted to stealing samples and using them to get high herself. The affairs were documented in the 2020 film '' How to Fix a Drug Scandal''. * Masaya Sawamura (Japan), science misconduct made a significant impact in the field of chemistry. Several of his academic papers were retracted due to concerns about manipulated or fabricated data. In 2022, the Chemistry group at Hokkaido University, where Sawamura is affiliated, retracted multiple papers, including one published in the journal ''Science'' in 2020. The retraction was attributed to the non-reproducibility of reported results and manipulation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra. Additionally, two papers by Sawamura's team, originally published in 2019 in the ''Journal of the American Chemical Society'', were retracted due to the manipulation or fabrication of NMR spectra and HPLC charts. * Bengü Sezen (US), a graduate student at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, was found to have falsified data in her research for over a decade by editing
NMR Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which atomic nucleus, nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are disturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near and far field, near field) and respond by producing ...
data to fit her desired results. At least six of her research papers have been withdrawn and Columbia University has moved to revoke her Ph.D. * Guido Zadel (Germany), a doctoral student at the University of Bonn, claimed to have observed enantioselectivity by conducting reactions immersed in a static magnetic field. After other researchers were unable to replicate his results, he confessed (and later retracted) to have spiked the reaction mixtures with pure enantiomers. His degree was stripped.


Computer science and mathematics

* Ioan Mang (Romania), a computer scientist at the University of Oradea, plagiarized a paper by cryptographer
Eli Biham Eli Biham () is an Israeli cryptographer and cryptanalyst who is a professor at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Computer Science department. From 2008 to 2013, Biham was the dean of the Technion Computer Science department, afte ...
, Dean of the Computer Science Department of Technion,
Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...
, Israel. He was accused of extensive plagiarism in at least eight of his academic papers. * Dănuț Marcu (Romania), a mathematician and computer scientist, was banned from publishing in several journals due to plagiarism. He had submitted a manuscript for publication that was a word-for-word copy of a published paper written by another author. * In 2012, IEEE posted "Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles" regarding a paper by Maruf Monwar, Waqar Haque and Padma Polash Paul presented at the 2007 Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering. The paper "contains significant portions of original text" from three papers by others and was "copied with insufficient attribution (including appropriate references to the original author(s) and/or paper title) and without permission. Due to the nature of this violation, reasonable effort should be made to remove all past references to this paper, and future references should be made to the following article ic..." * Tao Li, a computer science professor at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
, was accused of fabricating results and pushing his PhD student Huixiang Chen to keep pursuing a paper with false results at ISCA 2019. Mr. Chen committed suicide, and ACM and
IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...
found Prof. Li guilty of pressuring him after a two-year investigation. University of Florida forced Prof. Li to retire from the university after the investigation by IEEE and ACM.


Geology

* Vishwa Jit Gupta (India), a palaeontologist at the
Panjab University Panjab University (PU) is an Indian collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh. Funded through both State and Union governments, it is considered a state university. It traces its origins to the University of the Punjab in Lahor ...
, manipulated, faked and plagiarised data on the fossil records of the Himalayan region in publications between 1960s and 1980s. In a case known as the Himalayan fossil hoax, he was exposed by Australian geologist John Talent. Gupta had used fossil images from earlier records and fossil specimens from other parts of the world claiming that he found them at the Himalayas. Examination of his publications between 1969 and 1988 confirmed the misconduct. It was recorded as the "greatest scientific fraud of the century".


Philosophy

* (France), a philosopher and a chargé de recherche at the
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 eng ...
(CNRS) in Paris, in 2020 became the subject of academic plagiarism inquiries. Several of her journal publications were subsequently retracted, with the journal ''Vivarium'' publishing a detailed retraction notice. A CNRS investigating committee reported that although the allegations of plagiarism against Roques were unjustified, "the whole body of oques'work in English ..is seriously flawed by the regular presence of bad scholarly practices, by what might be called a sort of active negligence". As of 2023, Roques has had 13 of her published articles retracted. * Martin William Francis Stone, an Irish philosopher formerly at the
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries. In addition to its main camp ...
, plagiarized in more than 40 publications. *, a philosopher working at the Institute of Communication and Health at the
University of Lugano A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
, had articles both in philosophy and communications retracted for plagiarism and failure to credit sources properly. After a minor sanction, he was reinstated by the university in 2017. * Mahmoud Khatami, an Iranian philosopher at the
University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...
, was subject to plagiarism accusations in 2014. A retraction for one article by Khatami due to plagiarism appeared in the philosophy journal ''Topoi'', accompanied by an editorial by the journal editor that confirmed the existence of plagiarism. * Julian Young's ''Friedrich Nietzsche: A Philosophical Biography'' (Cambridge University Press, 2010) contains passages plagiarized from an earlier biography by Curtis Cate. Young later had corrections and proper attribution to Cate's biography inserted into unsold copies of the book.


Physics and engineering

* Ranga P. Dias (US), a physicist formerly at the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
, was in 2024 found by an investigatory committee to have committed research misconduct, including data fabrication and falsification, related to his work on alleged superconducting materials. A 2023 report in ''
Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
'' noted that at least 21% of Dias's 2013 doctoral thesis had been plagiarised. As of 2024, Dias has had five of his research papers retracted, and five other papers have received an expression of concern. *
Victor Ninov Victor Ninov (; born June 27, 1959) is a Bulgarian physicist and former researcher who worked primarily in creating superheavy elements. He is known for the co-discoveries of elements 110, 111, and 112 ( darmstadtium, roentgenium and copernic ...
(US), a nuclear chemist formerly at
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL, Berkeley Lab) is a Federally funded research and development centers, federally funded research and development center in the Berkeley Hills, hills of Berkeley, California, United States. Established i ...
, was dismissed from his position after falsifying his work on the discovery of elements 116 and 118. * Jan Hendrik Schön (Germany, US), a researcher in the physics of
semiconductors A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. Its conductivity can be modified by adding impurities (" doping") to its crystal structure. When two regions with different doping levels ...
formerly employed by
Bell Labs Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...
, forged results by using the same data sets for different and unrelated experiments. Schön has had 32 of his publications retracted. * Rusi Taleyarkhan (US), a nuclear engineer at
Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
, was found by a university committee in 2008 to have falsified his research.Purdue physicist found guilty of misconduct
Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2008, Thomas H. Maugh II


Plant biology

* Olivier Voinnet (France) was suspended in 2015 for two years from the
CNRS The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 eng ...
(the
French National Centre for Scientific Research The French National Centre for Scientific Research (, , CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 staff, including 11,137 tenured researchers, 13,415 engi ...
) due to multiple cases of data manipulation. In 2016 EMBO recalled the Gold Medal awarded to Voinnet in 2009. As of 2023, Voinnet has had nine research publications retracted, five other papers have received an expression of concern, and 25 other papers have been corrected.


Psychiatry

* William Meissner (1931–2010), a Jesuit priest and professor at
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
, was accused of copying many passages and also structural elements from Ernest Wallwork in Meissner's book, ''The Ethical Dimension of Psychoanalysis: A Dialogue.'' The Boston Psychoanalytic Society's Committee on Ethics and Professional Standards concluded that Meissner's actions "represented a serious breach of professional and scholarly standards."


Social sciences

* Mart Bax (Netherlands), former professor of political anthropology at the
Vrije Universiteit The (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the othe ...
, committed multiple acts of scientific misconduct including data fabrication, with a 2020 article in ''Ethnologia Europaea'' characterizing Bax's misconduct as "incredible and appalling." Bax, who as of 2020 has had nine of his research publications retracted, was found in 2013 to have never published 61 of the papers he listed on his CV. *
Bruno Frey Bruno S. Frey (born 4 May 1941 in Basel, Switzerland) is a Swiss economist and visiting professor for Political Economy at the University of Basel. Frey's research topics include Political economy and Happiness economics, with his published work ...
(Switzerland), an economist formerly at the
University of Zurich The University of Zurich (UZH, ) is a public university, public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of the ...
, in 2010–11 committed multiple acts of self-plagiarism in articles about the ''Titanic'' disaster. Frey admitted to the self-plagiarism, terming the acts "grave mistake and "deplorable." *
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg Karl-Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Buhl-Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg (born 5 December 1971), known professionally as Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, is a Germany, German businessman, journalist, podcaster, an ...
(Germany), former Minister of Defence of Germany, resigned from his office because of plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation from the
University of Bayreuth The University of Bayreuth (German: Universität Bayreuth) is a public research university located in Bayreuth, Germany. It is one of the youngest German universities. It is broadly organized into seven undergraduate and graduate faculties, with ...
. The university, which had awarded Guttenberg's dissertation with ''
summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
'' distinction, revoked his Ph.D. title on 23 February 2011, and Guttenberg resigned in March. * Michael LaCour (US), former graduate student in political science at
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
, was the lead author of the 2014 article " When contact changes minds". Published in ''
Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
'' and making international headlines, the paper was later retracted because of numerous irregularities in the methodology and falsified data. Following the retraction
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
rescinded an assistant professorship that had been offered to LaCour. * Philippe Rushton (Canada), formerly of the Department of Psychology at the
University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...
and former head of the white supremacist hate group
Pioneer Fund The Pioneer Fund is an American non-profit foundation established in 1937 "to advance the scientific study of heredity and human differences". The organization has been described as racist and white supremacist in nature. The Southern Pover ...
, engaged in "research
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
was unethical, scientifically flawed, and based on racist ideas and agenda." As of 2023, six of Rushton's research publications had been retracted. * Diederik Stapel (Netherlands), former professor of social psychology at
Tilburg University Tilburg University is a Catholic research university specializing in the social and behavioral sciences, economics, law, business sciences, theology and humanities, located in Tilburg, Netherlands. Tilburg has a student population of about 19,1 ...
, fabricated data in dozens of studies on human behaviour, a deception described by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' as "an audacious academic fraud." Stapel has had 58 of his publications retracted. * Brian Wansink (US), former John S. Dyson Endowed Chair in the Applied Economics and Management Department at
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
, was found in 2018 by a University investigatory committee to have "committed academic misconduct in his research and scholarship, including misreporting of research data, problematic statistical techniques, failure to properly document and preserve research results, and inappropriate authorship." As of 2020, Wansink has had 18 of his research papers retracted (one twice); seven other papers have received an expression of concern, and 15 others have been corrected. * Francisco Gómez Camacho (Spain), a Jesuit priest and emeritus professor at Madrid's
Comillas Pontifical University Comillas Pontifical University () is a private Catholic Church, Catholic university run by the Spanish Province of the Society of Jesus in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. The university is involved in a number of academic exchange programmes, work practi ...
, has had three publications about the history of economic theories retracted due to plagiarism. *
Francesca Gino Francesca Gino (born April 18, 1978) is an Italian Americans, Italian behavioral scientist who formerly served as Tandon Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School (HBS), with her research focusing on "honesty and ethi ...
(US), a professor at
Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...
was put on administrative leave after accusations surfaced that she had falsified data in multiple studies over a period of 10 years. As of 2024, five of Gino's research publications have been retracted. *
Dan Ariely Dan Ariely (; born April 29, 1967) is an Israeli-American professor and author. He serves as a James B. Duke Professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. He is the co-founder of several companies implementing insights f ...
(US), a professor at
Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, had a paper retracted over concerns about data fabrication, in addition to several other
controversies Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin '' controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opp ...
about his data. *
Marc Hauser Marc D. Hauser (born October 25, 1959) is an American evolutionary biologist and a researcher in primate behavior, animal cognition and human behavior and neuroscience. Hauser was a professor of psychology at Harvard University from 1998 to 2 ...
(US), an evolutionary biologist and former Professor of psychology at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, was found by a University committee and the US
Office of Research Integrity The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is a U.S. government agency that focuses on research integrity, especially in health. It was created when the Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of ...
to have fabricated and falsified data in his research.Johnson, C., 2012
"Former Harvard professor Marc Hauser fabricated, manipulated data, US says"
''Boston Globe'' nline5 September ccessed 12 September 2012/ref>


Other

* Cistercian historian Louis Lekai called attention to "a major case of modern plagiarism" when in 1959 he proved that almost all of Louis Dubois' influential biography of Abbot Armand Jean de Rancé, published in 1867, was copied from an unpublished manuscript by Francois Armand Gervaise. * In 2016 the scientific publisher
Springer Nature Springer Nature or the Springer Nature Group is a German-British academic publishing company created by the May 2015 merger of Springer Science+Business Media and Holtzbrinck Publishing Group's Nature Publishing Group, Palgrave Macmillan, and Macm ...
retracted 58 papers from seven journals, authored mostly by
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
-based researchers, because the papers showed evidence of authorship manipulation, peer-review manipulation, and/or plagiarism. *
Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...
in 2006 alleged more than three dozen cases of plagiarism in master's degree theses dating back 20 years in its mechanical engineering department. A former faculty member involved in the plagiarism cases, Jay S. Gunasekera, was removed from his position as department chair, had his title of "distinguished professor" rescinded, and in 2011 settled a lawsuit he had brought against the university. Another former faculty member implicated in the plagiarism cases, Bhavin Mehta, in 2012 lost a defamation suit he had brought against the university. * 486 Chinese cancer researchers were found guilty of engaging in a fraudulent peer-review scheme by China's Ministry of Science and Technology. The investigation was initiated after the retraction of 107 papers published in '' Tumor Biology'' between 2012 and 2016. This is reported to be the most papers retracted from one journal. * An investigation by the UK scientific journal ''Nature'' published on 8 January 2020, found that eight
James Cook University James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cair ...
(JCU) studies on the effect of climate change on coral reef fish, one of which was authored by the JCU educated discredited scientist Oona Lönnstedt, had a 100 percent replication failure and thus none of the findings of the original eight studies were found to be correct. The Swedish scientists Josefin Sundin and Fredrik Jutfelt were the first to report their suspicions to
Uppsala University Uppsala University (UU) () is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation. Initially fou ...
. Their informal investigation, and the proofs they collected, lead to the formal investigation. Concerns raised about a study Lönnstedt published while at JCU between 2010 and 2014 included an improbable number of lionfish claimed to have been used in this study, and images of 50 fish provided which appeared to include multiple images of some biological specimens, and two images that had been flipped making two fish appear to be four. Lönnstedt had also been found guilty of fabricating data underpinning a study at Uppsala University in Sweden following her departure from JCU in Queensland, Australia. The study was subsequently retracted.


See also

*
Cyril Burt Sir Cyril Lodowic Burt, Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (3 March 1883 – 10 October 1971) was an English educational psychology, educational psychologist and geneticist who also made contributions to statistics. He is known for his studies o ...
*
Retraction Watch Retraction Watch is a blog that reports on retractions of scientific papers and on related topics. The blog was launched in August 2010 and is produced by science writers Ivan Oransky (Former Vice President, Editorial ''Medscape'') and Adam Ma ...
(2010–) *
Research Integrity Risk Index Research Integrity Risk Index (RI²) is a bibliometric-based risk indicator developed by Lokman Meho, an information scientist at the American University of Beirut to assess research integrity vulnerabilities in global academic institutions. I ...
* List of scholarly publishing stings


References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite news , last=Baker, first=Theo, author-link=Theo Baker , date=November 29, 2022, title=Stanford president's research under investigation for scientific misconduct, University admits 'mistakes', url=https://stanforddaily.com/2022/11/29/stanford-presidents-research-under-investigation-for-scientific-misconduct-university-admits-mistakes/, work=
The Stanford Daily ''The Stanford Daily'' is the student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University. ''The Daily'' is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding community of Palo Alto, California, United States. It has published since the ...
, location=Stanford, CA
{{cite news , last=Baker, first=Theo, author-link=Theo Baker , date=February 17, 2023, title=Internal review found 'falsified data' in Stanford President's Alzheimer's research, colleagues allege, url=https://stanforddaily.com/2023/02/17/internal-review-found-falsified-data-in-stanford-presidents-alzheimers-research-colleagues-allege/, work=
The Stanford Daily ''The Stanford Daily'' is the student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University. ''The Daily'' is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding community of Palo Alto, California, United States. It has published since the ...
, location=Stanford, CA


External links


scifraud@albany
: Science Fraud Database (1988–1998) * Misconduct incidents Misconduct incidents