JUDGE THE SCIENCE, NOT THE FUNDING SOURCE. Heres an excerpt from a recent editorial with an important message - especially for those quick to dismiss research due to sponsorship (thats a bias in & of itself, brohan): ___________________________________ In summary, what are the best practices for ensuring a strong, unbiased body of obesity research? Certainly not refusing funding from those who wish to collaborate with scientists in becoming part of the solution; absolutely not by launching unsubstantiated attacks on reputable scientists with longstanding records of ethical conduct and meaningful scientific contribution; rather, it is first by giving funding source its proper position among many possible and equally important threats to objectivity and implementing safeguards to protect against such bias (and worse yet malfeasance). Second, we need to redouble our efforts to adhere to the basic principles of good science like reproducibility, replicability and other core evaluative procedures that ensure objective and reliable scientific reporting. Finally, we need to work toward open access to data regardless of its source. This will require the cooperation of those in the scientific community and among potential sources of funding. Ultimately, this type of transparency regardless of funding source will deliver a more robust and complete body of evidence. In short, scientists need to practice good science, sponsors must commit to transparency and noninfluence, media needs to practice responsible scientific journalism, and we all need to base our evaluations on scientific data and not on predetermined opinions rooted in our own emotion-laden bias for or against specific funding sources. nature/ijo/journal/v38/n5/full/ijo201432a.html
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 22:14:17 +0000
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