Sources that "that present themselves to the unwary as independent sources on information and science"[1] but are actually far from independent or far from the mainstream.
Journals
editThe following are scientific sounding journals of questionable reliability:
- 21st Century Science and Technology—a publication of the LaRouche movement. C.f.
- Indoor and Built Environment—Funded by Big Tobacco "to promote the idea that indoor air pollution was a problem caused not by secondhand smoke but by inadequate ventilation."[1] New Scientist reported that the journal's goal was to provide "an outlet for material undermining the idea that second-hand smoke is a major cause of illnesses by shifting the blame to building design and ventilation."[2] A paper in The Lancet noted that "there is a serious concern the tobacco industry may have been unduly influential on the content of the journal."[3]
- Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology—a publication of the International Society for Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, "an association of dominated by scientists who work for industry trade groups and consulting firms." Michaels describes the journal as the "best known" of the "slew" of "vanity journals that present themselves to the unwary as independent sources on information and science, but the peer reviewers are carefully chosen, like-minded corporate consultants sitting in friendly judgement on studies that are exquisitely structured to influence a regulatory proceding or court case."[1] The journal is partially funded by the American Chemistry Council,[4] and the society is sponsored, in part, by the Weinberg Group.
- Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine—also identified by Michaels as a "captured" journal.[1]
- Energy and Environment marginal journal with many publications opposing the scientific consensus on global warming, widely criticised for substandard/biased refereeing practices. Not indexed by Web of Science.
- Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (formerly Medical Sentinel). A publication of Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. Not indexed by PubMed. Described in an editorial in Chemical and Engineering News as "the purveyor of utter nonsense."[5] Not indexed by Web of Science.
- Medical Hypotheses: Indexed by PubMed, but not peer-reviewed. Seeks to provide a forum for "unconventional" ideas with minimal editorial "interference"; places responsibility for scientific accuracy and correctness of publications solely on the author's shoulders.
- Journal of Scientific Exploration: Dedicated to publishing claims which "will seem more speculative or less plausible than in some mainstream disciplinary journals."[6] Edited by Henry Bauer, who has argued (in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, no less) that HIV does not cause AIDS.[7] Not indexed by Web of Science.
- Counseling and Clinical Psychology: an erratically published journal not included in either the PsycInfo or Medline databases. Has published work purporting to find evidence for efficacy of Emotional Freedom Technique.
- Noetic Journal[1], journal of the "THE NOETIC PRESS, Publishing Division for The Noetic Advanced Studies Institute An Academic Publisher Specializing in the Physical Cosmology of Consciousness"[2] Not indexed by Web of Science, Chemical Abstracts Service, PubMed, or ArXiv.
- Neuroquantology: From the website - "NeuroQuantology is a journal dedicated to supporting the interdisciplinary exploration of the nature of quantum physics and its relation to the nervous system."
- Research and Reports in Tropical Medicine: see http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2011/03/donald_roberts_scientific_frau.php . Not indexed by PubMed or Web of Science. Pay to publish model and unclear peer review policy.
Associations and Institutions
edit- Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (publisher of Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons)
- Center for Regulatory Effectiveness
- International Epidemiology Institute
- International Society for Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology - see note, above, about their journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
- National Association of Scholars - a conservative advocacy body, not to be confused with the National Academy of Science
- Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (not to be confused with Oregon Health & Science University).
Useful resources for determining reliability
editNews Sources
editThe following news sources are of questionable reliability:
References
edit- ^ a b c d Michaels, David (2008). Doubt Is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195300673.
- ^ Their Learned Friends, by David Concar. Published in New Scientist on May 16 1998.
- ^ Garne D, Watson M, Chapman S, Byrne F (2005). "Environmental tobacco smoke research published in the journal Indoor and Built Environment and associations with the tobacco industry". Lancet. 365 (9461): 804–9. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)17990-2. PMID 15733724.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "PANUPS: Congress probes chem industry's influence at EPA:". Pesticide Action Network North America. April 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ Baum, Rudy (June 9, 2008). "Defending Science". Chemical and Engineering News. 86 (23). American Chemical Society: 5.
- ^ Instructions to Authors from the Journal of Scientific Exploration. Accessed May 21 2008.
- ^ Questioning HIV/AIDS: Morally Reprehensible or Scientifically Warranted? By Henry Bauer. Published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons 2007: Vol 12, No. 4, p. 116.