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Fabrication in a study about honesty: A lost episode of columbo illustrating how forensic statistics is performed.

Greg Samsa
Published in: Accountability in research (2024)
The three steps of a typical forensic statistical analysis are (1) verify that the raw data file is correct; (2) verify that the statistical analysis file derived from the raw data file is correct; and (3) verify that the statistical analyses are appropriate. We illustrate applying these three steps to a manuscript which was subsequently retracted, focusing on step 1. In the absence of an external source for comparison, criteria for assessing the raw data file were internal consistency and plausibility. A forensic statistical analysis isn't like a murder mystery, and it many circumstances discovery of a mechanism for falsification or fabrication might not be realistic.
Keyphrases
  • electronic health record
  • big data
  • small molecule
  • machine learning
  • high throughput
  • clinical evaluation