Peer reviewers, like authors, are supposed to declare any potential conflicts of interest. But what happens when they don’t?
While principally speaking to journal editors the points could be seen as essential prompts for would-be peer reviewers to consider.
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Last year, the first author of the 2016 review withdrew a paper from another journal (by the same publisher) which concluded asbestos roofing products are safe, following several criticisms — including not disclosing the approving editor’s ties to the asbestos industry. In this latest case, the journal told us it believes the review process for the paper was up to snuff, but two outside experts we consulted said they believed Hardin’s relationships — and failure to disclose them — should give the journal pause.
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