Scientific journals are periodically forced to issue retractions of scientific papers. It is a decision no scientist or publisher wants to make, but in some cases studies with major inaccuracies, or even fraud, manage to find their way into scientific publications.
New data from Retraction Watch, a website which pioneered the collection of retractions, shows they are on the rise in the United States. WUNC data reporter Jason deBruyn talks about some major academic fraud cases that have played out in North Carolina in the past few years. He also discusses the implications of fraudulent or false scientific studies on the quality and legitimacy of medical treatment.
