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Analysis and Correction of Inappropriate Image Duplication: The Molecular and Cellular Biology Experience
- Publication Year :
- 2018
- Publisher :
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2018.
-
Abstract
- The present study analyzed 960 papers published in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) from 2009-2016 and found 59 (6.1%) to contain inappropriately duplicated images. The 59 instances of inappropriate image duplication led to 42 corrections, 5 retractions and 12 instances in which no action was taken. Our experience suggests that the majority of inappropriate image duplications result from errors during figure preparation that can be remedied by correction. Nevertheless, ~10% of papers with inappropriate image duplications in MCB were retracted. If this proportion is representative, then as many as 35,000 papers in the literature are candidates for retraction due to image duplication. The resolution of inappropriate image duplication concerns after publication required an average of 6 h of journal staff time per published paper. MCB instituted a pilot program to screen images of accepted papers prior to publication that identified 12 manuscripts (14.5% out of 83) with image concerns in two months. The screening and correction of papers before publication required an average of 30 min of staff time per problematic paper. Image screening can identify papers with problematic images prior to publication, reduces post-publication problems and requires significantly less staff time than the correction of problems after publication.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Publishing
Computer science
Scientific Misconduct
Pilot Projects
Cell Biology
Biology
Image (mathematics)
Cell biology
03 medical and health sciences
Retraction of Publication as Topic
030104 developmental biology
Gene duplication
Staff time
Pilot program
Scientific Experimental Error
Molecular Biology
Editorial Policies
Research Article
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20092016
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....8eb6814a9406b7248f88d6f04e848995
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1101/354621