Jailed for Faking Data

What is this about?

This is the factual case of a researcher who was caught manipulating calibrations in pre-clinical data; these manipulations resulted in making data appear safe for use in clinical trials when they might not have been. The researcher, who was working at an American pharmaceutical company based in Scotland, was jailed for 3 months as a result of the investigations.

Why is this important?

The most usual outcome of investigations concerning data falsification is the retraction of a paper[1]. The present case presents an unusual example of a conviction given to an individual researcher for scientific research misconduct, and the first case of this type in the UK.

Falsification of data in pharmaceutical research might have a number of serious negative consequences such as compromising the safety of drug trials with humans and, potentially, presenting a danger to public health. Moreover, it can undermine the public’s trust to the outcomes of such trials and to scientific research in general.

[1] https://embassy.science/wiki/Theme:047c3bec-1747-499b-b6d5-684cbfb81edd