st: Science for Sale

[Michael Morrison <Morrimic@niacc.edu>]

I apologize that this is off topic but it seems to me that the article 
below identifies a very important issue touching all of us who admire 
science, its critical claim to objectivity and the hope for science to 
improve quality of life.

Take a look at:

Boutron, I., Dutton, S., Ravaud, P., and D.G. Altman. 2010. /Reporting 
and interpretation of randomized controlled trials with statistically 
nonsignificant results for primary outcomes./ JAMA. 303(20): 2058-64.

If you don't have access to JAMA read this article which summarizes the 
results:

Science for Sale 
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dangerous-spin-doctors-7-_b_747325.html>

Here's the first paragraph to provide a flavor of the article:

"A recent study in the /Journal of the American Medical Association/ found
over 40 percent of the best designed, peer-reviewed scientific papers
published in the world's top medical journals misrepresented the actual
findings of the research.(i 
<http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/303/20/2058>) The "spin 
doctors" writing the papers found
a way to show treatments worked, when in fact, they didn't."

The consequences of /"science for sale" /are enormous. Just when society 
needs more decision-making based on the best science available we have 
rats in the house posing as objective researchers, pocketing money from 
corporations who stand to gain profits from published "scientific" articles.

Mike












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