Unreliable: Bias, Fraud, and the Reproducibility Crisis in Biomedical Research

About the Book

Reproducibility is fundamental to the scientific method. After reading a paper describing research findings, a scientist should be able to repeat the experiment and obtain the same results. Yet an alarming number-perhaps as high as 90 percent-of published biomedical research papers face challenges in independent replication. Such issues range from honest mistakes to outright fraud. The scope of this crisis, however, underscores deeper systemic issues within the scientific community: its culture, incentives, and institutions.

In Unreliable, the distinguished scientist Csaba Szabo examines the causes and consequences of the reproducibility crisis in biomedical research, showing why the factors that encourage misconduct stem from flaws in real-world science. There are many culprits, including commonplace research methods and dubious statistical techniques. Academic career incentives, hypercompetition for grant funding, and a bias toward publishing positive results have exacerbated the problem. Deliberate data manipulation and fabricated findings churned out by "paper mills" are disturbingly common. Academic institutions and publishers, for their part, have perpetuated a culture of impunity.

Szabo explores how these failures have hindered scientific progress and impeded the development of new treatments, and he introduces readers to the "science sleuths" who tirelessly uncover misconduct. He proposes comprehensive reforms, from scientific training to the grant system through the publication process, to address the root causes of the crisis. Written in clear language and leavened with a keen sense of irony, Unreliable is an essential account of the reproducibility crisis that gives readers an inside look at how science is actually done.

Table of Contents:
Preface
1. Careers and Career Pressures in Biomedical Science
2. Hypercompetition for Research Grants
3. “Doing Science”: From Hypothesis to Publication
4. Scientific Fraud—and the Fraudulent Fraudsters
5. A Broken Scientific Publishing System
6. The Way Forward
Afterword
Appendix
Notes
Index

About the Author :
Csaba Szabo is among the world’s most cited biomedical scientists. He is head of the Section of Pharmacology at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and for twenty-five years, he led biomedical research groups at various universities in the United States.

Review :
In the name of honest and dedicated scientists, Unreliable is an outcry against the broken system of biomedical research. Csaba Szabo gives a comprehensive analysis of inept grant award schemes and corrupt publication practices and calls for an urgent overhaul. Unreliable courageously examines the systemic issues plaguing biomedical studies—from immense pressures to flawed incentives that drive researchers toward unethical practices. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with the integrity of scientific research and the implications of its shortcomings on society. The problem of irreproducible and fraudulent research is addressed in depth by an active researcher at the top level of biomedical science. This highly readable book gives unique insights into the process of how research is funded and conducted, how this creates problems, and what we need to do to counteract an alarming growth in shoddy science. Science is a respected profession, but it is the product of human activity. Thus, human errors are inevitable. Moreover, some scientists make hubristic claims, and some even engage in data falsification and fabrication. Unreliable exposes the various factors that contribute to the reproducibility crisis in biomedical science. The stories in the book are from the frontlines, where those of us who try to maintain research funding and run a lab are fighting misconduct daily. Importantly, the book offers concrete solutions for how we as scientists might hope to fix the broken systems of research oversight. If one of the world's most highly cited biomedical scientists concludes that the majority of the published biomedical literature is unreliable, you better pay attention. Unreliable is supported by vast amounts of data, and it is infused with biting, sarcastic dark humor. Jaw-dropping. A troubling wake-up call for scientific researchers. Szabo blows the lid off his field. Essential reading for everyone working in—and contemplating entering—biomedical science, ‘Unreliable’ is an engrossing, timely contribution to research fraud, the resultant reproducibility crisis, and the ongoing battle for scientific integrity. [‘Unreliable’] is a disturbing but compelling exploration of the causes of irreproducibility—from hypercompetition and honest errors, to statistical shenanigans and outright fraud. Szabo knows this world inside out and has managed to rise to the top of his field. This is a rollicking good read, written in an informal style, and enlivened by cartoons, which works as a scholarly and accessible account of the so-called reproducibility crisis in biomedical research. Szabo…dissects the ways he’s seen research go wrong in his 30 years in academia and industry: data manipulation, poor experimental design, statistical errors and more. It’s a sobering, often depressing, litany. In total, [this] book is wonderful. [Szabo’s] efforts are affable and admirable. For anyone thinking about stepping into academia, especially biomedical research, this book is a must-read.​ This book isn’t just for aspiring scientists. It’s a wake-up call for those already deep in biomedical research and a revealing read for the general public whose tax dollars fund these endeavors. Unreliable serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action.​ ​The book is dynamite, and it's written by one of the biggest cheeses in medical research. Szabo’s message is clear: science is drowning in waste and fakery, and it’s time to stop pretending otherwise. If we want science we can trust, we’ll need to rethink everything—from the classroom to the lab bench to the journal page. The clock’s ticking. It’s a book no one wanted to write—but one we all need to read. [Szabo’s] engaging book is stuffed with facts and evidence. His call to arms could not come soon enough. Highly recommended.