Research?

While we teach our students the principles of research and the importance of consulting reliable sources, we read (New York Times, 9/11/09, B5)that several of the most important medical journals published articles actually written by drug company researchers but used the names of respected academics as authors. For example, it’s estimated that the New England Journal of Medicine published 10.9 percent ghostwritten articles—the highest among the journals surveyed and one of the best medical journals in the world. Not only does this create obvious problems for the MDs and patients, it also raises the question of academic fraud—these professors were apparently earning bonuses, promotions, and tenure on the basis of articles they never wrote.