As Science retracts a paper by a second James Cook alumnus, critics ask where they learned their craft
The retraction of a paper from top-flight journal Science has raised new questions about research practices at the Queensland institution where the lead author did her PhD.
Multiple retractions reflect poorly on the research practices of individuals and potentially their host institution when the retracted paper was written. They can also raise doubts about the standard of research integrity development for HDR students at the institution where individuals have studied for their PhD. Institutions must be cognisant of not only quality professional development being about research culture at the institution, it is also risk management to protect their reputation coming into the future.
Science had flagged data manipulation accusations in an “editorial expression of concern” posted in February. The university has now informed the journal that it “no longer has confidence in the validity of the data” underpinning four of the paper’s figures.
The university told Times Higher Education that it had made findings of research misconduct in relation to the Science paper and two other articles, which it had also asked to be retracted. It declined to identify the journals involved but said it had reported its findings to them and to “relevant federal agencies”.
Doubts about Dr Dixson’s research emerged some years ago. In early 2020, three papers she had co-authored – including the Science article – were among 22 research publications “comprehensively and transparently” debunked in a three-year replication study published in the journal Nature.
