COMMENT:A discussion of fraud in science that focuses on a few cases in detail, rather than surveying many. The funding process in particular is illuminating, and "following the money" exposes corruption. In the examples given, proposals are denied because of unsubstantiated rumors generated by research competitors, large money awards are made to institutions clearly less suitable because of bias and political reasons, and the NSF can actively try to cover these up. The topic of doctoring data is examined, particularly the David Baltimore and Stephen Breuning cases; the most disturbing aspect being the obstructionism of the institutions involved, to the extent of taking action against the whistleblowers. Fraud in drug and military research are also discussed. While some suggestions for dealing with these problems are included, this part is weak. This book is recommended, especially to those who think that science is always a self-correcting process.
DATE:19990628
KEYWORDS:fraud
MISC:320p.
PUBLISHER:John Wiley & Sons
SUBMITADDR:lippard@primenet.com
SUBMITNAME:James J. Lippard
TITLE:Impure Science: Fraud, Compromise and Political Influence in Scientific Research
