After a long wait, the results of the investigation into the lung cancer homeopathy study by the Austrian Agency for Scientific Integrity (ÖAWI) are now online, albeit anonymised.

 

Quote from https://oeawi.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Jahresbericht-Kommission-2022.pdf page 4:

 

Inquiry A 2021/10:

An Austrian university received information from an external and identified source about possible research misconduct in a particular study and the resulting publication. The university then submitted the suspected and already publicised case in the applied natural sciences to the OeAWI requesting an investigation by the Commission.

After establishing sufficient grounds for suspecting various violations of good scientific practice, the Commission initiated an investigation. In the course of the investigation, the accused lead author was given the opportunity to submit a written statement and provide any useful material that might clarify the facts of the case. He presented large quantities of information.

In a very time-consuming and comprehensive investigation, requiring—among other things—an on-site inspection of original documents, the Commission was able to substantiate the suspicion of data falsification, fabrication and manipulation.

In a final statement, the Commission provided the accused, who is no longer associated with the university in question, and his numerous co-authors detailed information about the investigative procedure and its results; and it informed them of its recommendations to the university and the journal. The Commission recommended that the university concerned ought to consider examining its own responsibilities and then proceed accordingly, and that the publication should be withdrawn as a matter of urgency. The journal responsible for the publication was asked to withdraw the publication on the basis of the findings of the investigation.

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