Handling Problem Manuscripts

The nature of the problem

Common ethical issues

What to do

Reasons for retractions

Fang FC, Steen RG, Casadevall A., PNAS 2012

Percent of published articles retracted for fraud or suspected fraud

Fang FC, Steen RG, Casadevall A., PNAS 2012

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Common Ethical Issues

90% of problems found in gel images

• Gel splicing

• Duplicate image

• Dropped background

• Cloning, masking, cleaning up

(J. Krueger, ORI)

GEL SPLICING AND DUPLICATION

ORI gradient tool

Common Ethical Issues

DUPLICATE IMAGECommon Ethical Issues

DUPLICATE IMAGE

Common Ethical Issues

ORI gradient tool

DUPLICATE IMAGES IN MICROGRAPHS

Common Ethical Issues

DROPPED BACKGROUND

Were these bands just copied onto a white(-ish) background?

YES

Common Ethical Issues

ORI gradient tool

What’s missing?

Common Ethical IssuesMASKING AND “CLEANING UP”

90% of problems found in gel images

• Gel splicing

• Duplicate image

• Dropped background

• Cloning, masking, “cleaning up”

99% of these problems were image preparation errorsNOT FRAUD

Common Ethical Issues

(J. Krueger, ORI)

• Prior publication

• Simultaneous submission to more than one journal

• Plagiarism

• Human / animal protocols

• Statement of conflict of interest

• Authorship issues

Other Kinds of Ethical Issues

Finding problems BEFORE publication

Find problems before publication

• Be alert to image manipulation

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Zoom in on blots

Find problems before publication

• Be alert to image manipulation-Zoom, enlarge figures

• Be alert to prior publication-Check PubMed

• Review manuscripts for compliance with JBC policiesHuman/animal protocolsConflict of interest statement

What to do

• Report suspicions promptly to the associate editor

• Maintain confidentiality