**Fantastic fraud and how to catch it**
In a world where digital data and publishing are the new norm, scientists are on the lookout for fraudulent research schemes. Some researchers, whether through sheer laziness or unethical behavior, have been using images of real data as something they’re not. Enterprising fraudsters can easily avoid being caught if they know how the software operates, which, unfortunately, the company that has developed the software does so on its website.
Much of the image-based fraud arises from a dilemma faced by many scientists: It’s not a problem to run experiments, but the data they generate often isn’t the data you want. To hide their tracks, unethical researchers will often rotate, magnify, crop, or change the brightness/contrast of images and use them more than once in the same paper. This fraud is remarkably common and one of the most frustrating forms of research fraud. All the evidence is in the paper, and it is usually easy to see once it’s pointed out. But it can be remarkably difficult to spot in the first place.
In an effort to crack down on this growing problem, Science publisher, has announced the use of commercial software to automate the process of detecting improperly manipulated images. However, it’s vital to note the software’s limitations. While it will catch some of the most egregious cases of image manipulation, it’s not a catch-all solution. Fantastic fraud and how to catch it has led to many wild solutions being discussed and attempted.
Moving forward, we must keep a vigilant eye towards advancements in research technology as nefarious researchers will always be trying new and crafty methods. What do you think? Are these software changes going to significantly impact scientific fraud?
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