How the experts spot fraud or fabrication

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How the experts spot fraud or fabrication......

http://www.the-scientist.com/2009/03/1/67/1/

Fixing Fraud

Tips for preventing research misconduct and maintaining the integrity

of your research. ANDREA GAWRYLEWSKI

The most useful evidence for investigators looking into cases of

fraud is the data, says Dahlberg, director of investigative

oversight the Office of Research Integrity. Of course, if raw data

are not available—which sets off a whole series of warning signs—

figures can be examined for evidence of manipulation......

Sometimes the same image is altered to appear like two different

images in separate papers or grant applications, Dahlberg says. " What

really catches a lot of people, " is that they put a greater emphasis

on the results they fabricate, like a certain band of a western blot,

says Dahlberg. " They're not paying attention to things like

background spots. Some particular bands have bubbles in them, or

tails. There are a lot of signature aspects of a particular image

[that] makes it unique, " and can expose fraudulent data.

Looking at spreadsheets adapted from raw measurements in lab

notebooks can also reveal fudged numbers. Dalhberg suggests looking

for numbers that aren't consistently carried out to the same decimal

point. Also, the frequency of each particular number in a dataset

should be roughly equivalent. A number that appears with greater

frequency can " demonstrate that numbers have been fabricated, " says

Dahlberg.