Examining Scientific

Articles
Life Unlimited? Winter 2014

Challenge
How many
scientific articles
were retracting
between 2010
and 2011?

Challenge

456

Retractions

Retractions

Retractions

Retractions

Retractions
Two stem cell papers with irreproducible findings
Spiking rabbit blood to fake HIV vaccine results
60 papers due to a peer review ring
A study about Facebook due to ethical violations
A study on cassava due to corporate pressure
A 2012 study on GMOs that was retracted in 2014
was republished and then retracted again
A social psychology study for data manipulation
A study on stem cells and cardiovascular health due
to corrupted data
16 papers by an economist who wrote his own fake
peer-reviews

Retractions
A 2010 economics paper by Reinhart
and Rogoff (Harvard professors) was as
good as retracted due to an excel
spreadsheet error. This paper was used
for significant legislation in the EU and
was the base of Paul Ryans arguments
for budget cuts.

Examining
Science Articles
Peer-Reviewed Study
Methods
Check the statistical
analysis
Check who funded the
research

Peer-Reviewed
Study

Methods
Testing hypotheses (/falsification)
Randomization
Control
Test one thing at a time, multiple times (trials)
Blind/Double-Blind Information is on need to
know
Experiment must be replicable
There must be statistical analysis (check the P
value)

Who funded?
Does the authority funding the study
have an interest in a particular result?
The funder of a study will always be
listed in the article. If not, theres a
problem.

Example Case
Long term toxicity of a Roundup
herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant
genetically modified maize, 2012
Reduction in the incidence of type 2
diabetes with lifestyle intervention or
metaformin, 2002

GMO Study
claimed to link genetically modified (GM) crops to early
death and tumor development in rats
2 year study
4 groups (100 individuals): (1) GM maize w/ roundup,
(2) GM maize sans roundup, (3) Conventional maize
w/roundup, (4) Conventional maize sans roundup
50% of M/70% of F fed GM maize died early in
comparison to 20% M/30% F of those fed conventional
died early
Liver and kidney damage and mammary tumors in GM
fed rats

GMO Study
Non-conventional statistical analysis
Improper control usage
Not all rats were accounted for in the analysis
Study was small, only 100 rats in total & single
trial
Particular species of rats are prone to mammary
tumors with unrestricted feeding
Feeding schedule and growth rate not disclosed
Nonrandomized subjects
Study was not following blind procedures

Type 2 Diabetes
Study
Claims to show a link between lifestyle change and
development of type 2 diabetes
2.8 year average, (1.8 to 4.6)
3 groups (3234 individuals): randomly assigned to (1) placebo,
(2) metformin, (3) lifestyle intervention (goal of 7% weight
loss/week, with 150 minutes of physical activity)
68% female, 45% minority, all were high risk for type 2
diabetes
Double-blind treatment procedure (ended early due to
advisory board)
Lifestyle change was 58% more effective than placibo and
metformin was 31% more effective than placibo
Thus both methods were effective (especially in comparison to
previous literature) in preventing or delaying the onset of
type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes
Study
conventional statistical analysis with adjusted analysis to
each group
Proper control usage with randomized subjects
All subjects were accounted for in the analysis
Study was larger than previous studies at the time
Subjects were closely monitored to be determined as high
risk
Study is relatively shorter in comparison to newer type 2
diabetes studies
Study was double-blind before alteration due to health
risks.
Study was funded by research dollars and corporate
sponsors donated materials only.