An article by ABC Investigations has thrown a spotlight on a lack of quality control of academic research in Australia. The article focuses on engineering and medical research papers that have been retracted, and a whistleblower who goes under the name of Artemisia Stricta. But the article also points to the lack of a scientific watchdog in Australia and the broader dangers of allowing poor quality and fraudulent research to proliferate.
We have seen this impact on Brumby management in Australia as the invasive species mantra has biased research before it even starts and proliferates the belief that Brumbies are responsible for the decline of native species.
Here is an extract from :
Death threats, ghost researchers and sock puppets: Inside the weird, wild world of dodgy academic research
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The price of bad science
The motivation, according to whistleblower Artemisia Stricta, is the public good.
“We all pay the price when the institutions that are supposed to protect the integrity of the scientific process fall asleep at the wheel.
“The erosion of public trust in science gives rise to movements such as anti-vaccination and climate scepticism,” they said.
“On the other hand, people who do rely on science may be basing crucial private and public decisions on incorrect information. The long-term impacts of a compromised scientific process may be catastrophic,” the whistleblower said.
History shows dodgy research often festers in the public domain and can be cited, republished and accepted as fact for decades before it’s eventually debunked.
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