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UK royal college responds to scientific fraud
UK royal college responds to scientific fraud
i off in
These two scrutinies were sparked November last year by the request by Sir William Asscher, principal of St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, that the papers be withdrawn on the basis of the finding of an internal inquiry Lancet 1994; 344: 1566). In December, 1994, Mr Pearce was dismissed from his post as consultant obstetrician at St George’s. The two papers investigated were a case-report claiming successful intrauterine relocation of an ectopic pregnancy leading to a term delivery, and a randomised trial of the use of human chorionic gonadotropin in recurrent miscarriage associated with polycystic ovaries. The report to the college said that Pearce’s credibility during the enquiry had been undermined particularly by his:
(see
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.
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port for the .
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sup- :
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computer system had been tampered with; . admission of having produced a ficti- : tious report to show the dean of the medical school; and
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tation
The controversy surrounding two articles published in the August, 1994, volume of . the British journal of Obstetrics and Gynae- : cology seemed to come to a close last week. An independent inquiry’s report to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, circulated on June 12, concluded that "neither article should have been published and both should be formally retracted". Only days before, the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Medical Council had found that Mr Malcolm Pearce, first author of both papers and deputy editor of the journal, was guilty of scientific fraud. The committee also ordered that Pearce’s registration
Progress of nations and of control polycystic polio
to produce adequate documen- : sqpport the paper on recurrent miscarriages associated with ovaries. : The inquiry also found that editorial mistakes had been made at the journal. Neverthless, the inquiry noted that it was unlikely that either of the papers would have been rejected even if standard editorial practice had been followed. For instance, the trial paper’s statistical referee pointed out to the inquiry that although the paper was clearly "badly written", it bore no obvious markers of scientific fraud-even in retrospect. In addition, the clinical referee’s report at the time said that the paper should be accepted. The : publication of the case-report seemed to have been "triggered by an informal discussion", according to the inquiry. There was no letter of submission signed by all the authors, and no copyright transfer form had been signed. The speed of the editorial processing of the case-report was: also cause for particular concern. A more conventional path to publication might have allowed time for the coauthors to have been made fully aware of their status . and might have given time to seek verification of the case, if thought necessary. Instead, acceptance and publication were rushed relative to other case-reports. : The report of the inquiry concludes that "(Inter)national guidelines on the investigation of suspected scientific fraud are needed" and recommends that "The medical and scientific community should give serious consideration to establishing a national investigative body" for fraud. In addition, the inquiry suggested that random requests by journal editors for the raw data of a paper submitted for publication might be an effective deterrent of fraud. Meanwhile, inquiries at St George’s continue into other publications that Pearce worked on between January, 1989, and December, 1994. .
.
1
16 was the fourth "day of the African child"-a day dedicated to the memory of the almost 180 schoolchildren who died while protesting in the South African township of Soweto. It is also a day of celebration of progress for children across the African continent. UNICEF is using the day to draw attention to the progress that is being made in contrast to the media images of starvation and war. One of the highlighted progresses is that seven sub-Saharan countries have become free of polio. The echoed that sentiment of UNICEF’s third annual report, The P’rogress of Nations (ISBN 92-806-317050), which ranks the world’s nations according to their successes and failures in child health, nutrition, education, family planning, and progress for women. But commenting on the section on infectious disease, Dr Jong Wook Lee, director of the WHO Global Programme for Vaccines and Immunization, applauds that polio is in retreat (see figure) but
June
1
1
1
Sarah
Ramsay
36% were regular consumers-having a Estimated polio cases (thousands), drink at least once a week. In this categoabove, and % infants under one year A Swiss schools survey of 17 000 pupils ry, one in four of 13-to-14 year-olds said immunised, below, in developing counaged 11-16 shows them to be drinking they had been tipsy more than twice in the tries. (Adapted from the report using more alcohol and smoking twice as much : WHO and UNICEF data.) preceding two months. as was the case with their counterparts a While smoking among adults has warns that the eradication programme decade ago. The investigation, carried out declined by 20% (1974-1993) the numfor Prevention of the Swiss Institute by ber smoking at least one cigarette a day must maintain momentum and succeed Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (ISPA) is now comprises 7% of 11-16 year olds, by the year 2000. "Eradicating polio one of a series covering European counrequires a head of steam. This we now compared with 4% in 1986. The proportries, requested and being collected by tion reaches 20% for the 16-year-olds have. But if the year 2000 target is not WHO’s regional office in Copenhagen. : (girls 27%, boys 23%). Already by age 11, achieved, then that pressure will quickly According to the survey, about 40% of some 5% say they have had a cigarette. be lost. We will have to start with cold water all over again", he writes. The last girls and 60% of boys in urban schools Where cannabis, now regarded as comnow drink alcohol once a month, but monplace, is concerned, more than 18% five years of the programme will require is if even that, "particularly disquieting" admit they tried it, an 8% increase since US$130 million annually in external aid from the industrialised nations. But, 2% of both sexes only gradually rising, 1986. Use of stimulants is also have a drink daily: 3700 drink beer, 1700 (now 1-4%). : points out Lee, the USA alone will save twice that amount once the virus has gone. preferring wine, 3700 cider, 2270 liqueurs, and 2900 having aperitifs. By age 16 only 15% had never tasted alcohol and Alan McGregor Sarah Ramsay
Young Swiss drinkers
increasing
1566
i off in
These two scrutinies were sparked November last year by the request by Sir William Asscher, principal of St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, that the papers be withdrawn on the basis of the finding of an internal inquiry Lancet 1994; 344: 1566). In December, 1994, Mr Pearce was dismissed from his post as consultant obstetrician at St George’s. The two papers investigated were a case-report claiming successful intrauterine relocation of an ectopic pregnancy leading to a term delivery, and a randomised trial of the use of human chorionic gonadotropin in recurrent miscarriage associated with polycystic ovaries. The report to the college said that Pearce’s credibility during the enquiry had been undermined particularly by his:
(see
1
1 j
.
inability
port for the .
inability
to
produce documentary report; remember the
sup- :
case
to
patient; suggestion that
name
of
: the ::
case-report .
the
hospital
1
records
computer system had been tampered with; . admission of having produced a ficti- : tious report to show the dean of the medical school; and
to
1
i
be suspended.
inability
tation
The controversy surrounding two articles published in the August, 1994, volume of . the British journal of Obstetrics and Gynae- : cology seemed to come to a close last week. An independent inquiry’s report to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, circulated on June 12, concluded that "neither article should have been published and both should be formally retracted". Only days before, the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Medical Council had found that Mr Malcolm Pearce, first author of both papers and deputy editor of the journal, was guilty of scientific fraud. The committee also ordered that Pearce’s registration
Progress of nations and of control polycystic polio
to produce adequate documen- : sqpport the paper on recurrent miscarriages associated with ovaries. : The inquiry also found that editorial mistakes had been made at the journal. Neverthless, the inquiry noted that it was unlikely that either of the papers would have been rejected even if standard editorial practice had been followed. For instance, the trial paper’s statistical referee pointed out to the inquiry that although the paper was clearly "badly written", it bore no obvious markers of scientific fraud-even in retrospect. In addition, the clinical referee’s report at the time said that the paper should be accepted. The : publication of the case-report seemed to have been "triggered by an informal discussion", according to the inquiry. There was no letter of submission signed by all the authors, and no copyright transfer form had been signed. The speed of the editorial processing of the case-report was: also cause for particular concern. A more conventional path to publication might have allowed time for the coauthors to have been made fully aware of their status . and might have given time to seek verification of the case, if thought necessary. Instead, acceptance and publication were rushed relative to other case-reports. : The report of the inquiry concludes that "(Inter)national guidelines on the investigation of suspected scientific fraud are needed" and recommends that "The medical and scientific community should give serious consideration to establishing a national investigative body" for fraud. In addition, the inquiry suggested that random requests by journal editors for the raw data of a paper submitted for publication might be an effective deterrent of fraud. Meanwhile, inquiries at St George’s continue into other publications that Pearce worked on between January, 1989, and December, 1994. .
.
1
16 was the fourth "day of the African child"-a day dedicated to the memory of the almost 180 schoolchildren who died while protesting in the South African township of Soweto. It is also a day of celebration of progress for children across the African continent. UNICEF is using the day to draw attention to the progress that is being made in contrast to the media images of starvation and war. One of the highlighted progresses is that seven sub-Saharan countries have become free of polio. The echoed that sentiment of UNICEF’s third annual report, The P’rogress of Nations (ISBN 92-806-317050), which ranks the world’s nations according to their successes and failures in child health, nutrition, education, family planning, and progress for women. But commenting on the section on infectious disease, Dr Jong Wook Lee, director of the WHO Global Programme for Vaccines and Immunization, applauds that polio is in retreat (see figure) but
June
1
1
1
Sarah
Ramsay
36% were regular consumers-having a Estimated polio cases (thousands), drink at least once a week. In this categoabove, and % infants under one year A Swiss schools survey of 17 000 pupils ry, one in four of 13-to-14 year-olds said immunised, below, in developing counaged 11-16 shows them to be drinking they had been tipsy more than twice in the tries. (Adapted from the report using more alcohol and smoking twice as much : WHO and UNICEF data.) preceding two months. as was the case with their counterparts a While smoking among adults has warns that the eradication programme decade ago. The investigation, carried out declined by 20% (1974-1993) the numfor Prevention of the Swiss Institute by ber smoking at least one cigarette a day must maintain momentum and succeed Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (ISPA) is now comprises 7% of 11-16 year olds, by the year 2000. "Eradicating polio one of a series covering European counrequires a head of steam. This we now compared with 4% in 1986. The proportries, requested and being collected by tion reaches 20% for the 16-year-olds have. But if the year 2000 target is not WHO’s regional office in Copenhagen. : (girls 27%, boys 23%). Already by age 11, achieved, then that pressure will quickly According to the survey, about 40% of some 5% say they have had a cigarette. be lost. We will have to start with cold water all over again", he writes. The last girls and 60% of boys in urban schools Where cannabis, now regarded as comnow drink alcohol once a month, but monplace, is concerned, more than 18% five years of the programme will require is if even that, "particularly disquieting" admit they tried it, an 8% increase since US$130 million annually in external aid from the industrialised nations. But, 2% of both sexes only gradually rising, 1986. Use of stimulants is also have a drink daily: 3700 drink beer, 1700 (now 1-4%). : points out Lee, the USA alone will save twice that amount once the virus has gone. preferring wine, 3700 cider, 2270 liqueurs, and 2900 having aperitifs. By age 16 only 15% had never tasted alcohol and Alan McGregor Sarah Ramsay
Young Swiss drinkers
increasing
1566