SCIENTIFIC MISCONDUCT

Scientific misconduct

An unfortunate chapter in the history of superconductivity occurred during the period 2000-2002 concerning the publication of a number of papers reporting striking new effects in field-effect devices. The first author of all these papers was Jan Hendrik Schön at Bell Labs. After repeated attempts by others to duplicate the reported results, serious questions were raised about their legitimacy, and in May 2002, the management of Bell Labs formed a committee to investigate "the possibility of scientific misconduct, the validity of the data and whether or not proper scientific methodology was used in papers by Hendrik Schön, et al., that are being challenged in the scientific community." The members of the committee were M.R. Beasley (Chair), S. Datta, H. Kogelnik, H. Kroemer and D. Monroe. The committee concluded that J. H. Schön committed scientific misconduct. As a consequence of the committee findings, all of the problematic papers were retracted, and editorial retractions were issued on several of Schön's papers that were not formally analyzed by the Beasley committee. The following links tell the whole story.

To read about the committee's conclusions regarding the allegations, use the following links.

Bell Labs September 25, 2002, press release
http://www.lucent.com/press/0902/020925.bla.html

Bell Labs web page on the research review
http://www.lucent.com/news_events/researchreview.html

Executive Summary (3-page PDF document - file size 100 K)
http://www.lucent.com/news_events/pdf/summary.pdf

Committee’s Report (127-page PDF document - file size 2154 K)
http://www.lucent.com/news_events/pdf/researchreview.pdf


To read more about the wider impact on the scientific community and about the retractions of the papers, use the following links.

May 24, 2002, Robert F. Service, “Pioneering Physics Papers Under Suspicion for Data Manipulation,” Science 296, 1376 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5572/1376

May 28, 2002, Kenneth Chang, “A Sudden Host of Questions on Bell Labs Breakthroughs,” New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/28/science/28BELL.html

May 31, 2002, Robert F. Service, “Physicists Question Safeguards, Ponder Their Next Moves,” Science 296, 1584 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/296/5573/1584

June 2002, Editorial, “Bell Labs in the spotlight,” Physics World 15, 15 (2002)
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/6/1

June 20, 2002, “Superconductivity: A grand challenge,” Nature
http://www.nature.com/nature/links/020620/020620-8.html

June 20, 2002, Paul Grant, “Is a bell tolling for Bell Labs?” Nature 417, 789 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v417/n6891/full/417789a_fs.html

July 2002, Barbara Goss Levi, “Bell Labs Convenes Committee to Investigate Questions of Scientific Misconduct,” Physics Today 55, 15 (2002)
http://www.physicstoday.org/pt/vol-55/iss-7/p15.html

July 4, 2002, Geoff Brumfiel, “Bell Labs inquiry spreads to superconductors,” Nature 418, 5 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v418/n6893/full/418005a_fs.html

July 5, 2002, Donald Kennedy, “More Questions About Research Misconduct” Science 297, 13 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/297/5578/13

July 5, 2002, Robert F. Service, “Winning Streak Brought Awe, and Then Doubt,” Science 297, 34 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/297/5578/34

July 9, 2002, Kenneth Chang, “Lucent Panel Broadens Inquiry to Superconductor Papers,” New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/09/science/physical/09BELL.html

July 11, 2002, Geoff Brumfiel, “Misconduct in physics: Time to wise up?” Nature 418, 120 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v418/n6894/full/418120a_fs.html

July 12, 2002, Bob Park, "Misconduct: Inquiry at Bell Labs is broadened," What's New
http://www.aps.org/WN/WN02/wn071202.html

August 22, 2002, William F. Brinkman, “Physicists take issue of misconduct seriously,” Nature 418, 817 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v418/n6900/full/418817b_fs.html

August 29, 2002, Geoff Brumfiel, “Fraud inquiry leaves online paper in the ether,” Nature 418, 907 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v418/n6901/full/418907a_fs.html

Jack Mason, “Did Bell Labs’ Rising Nanotech Star Commit the Cardinal Sin of Science?” Small Times
http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=4079

September 25, 2002, Jack Mason, “Bell Physicist Found Responsible for Misconduct in Nano Research,” Small Times
http://www.smalltimes.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=4699

September 26, 2002, Erika Check, “Scientific misconduct: Sitting in judgement,” Nature 419, 332 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v419/n6905/full/419332a_fs.html

September 26, 2002, Kenneth Chang, “Panel Says Bell Labs Scientist Faked Discoveries,” New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/26/science/26FRAU.html

September 26, 2002, Michael Pastore, “Bell Labs Dismisses Researcher for Scientific Misconduct,”
http://www.nanoelectronicsplanet.com/nanochannels/research/article/0,4028,10497_1470791,00.html

September 26, 2002, "The Undoing of a Star Scientist," Wired News Report
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,55410,00.html

September 29, 2002, Gina Kolata, “Assigning Blame if Fraud Is Found,” New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/weekinreview/29KOLA.html

October 1, 2002, Kenneth Chang, “Despite Fraud at Bell Labs, Chip Research Barrels Ahead,” New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/01/science/physical/01BELL.html

October 3, 2002, “Reflections on scientific fraud,” Nature 419, 417 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v419/n6906/full/419417a_fs.html

October 3, 2002, Geoff Brumfiel, “Misconduct finding at Bell Labs shakes physics community,” Nature 419, 419 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v419/n6906/full/419419a_fs.html

October 3, 2002, “Editorial statement,” Nature 419, 425 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v419/n6906/full/419425a_fs.html

October 4, 2002, Robert F. Service, “Scientific Misconduct: Bell Labs Fires Star Physicist Found Guilty of Forging Data,” Science 298, 30 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5591/30

October 15, 2002, Kenneth Chang, "On Scientific Fakery and the Systems to Catch It," New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/15/science/15FRAU.html

October 18, 2002, Donald Kennedy, "Next Steps in the Schön Affair," Science 298, 495 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/298/5593/495

October 24, 2002, David Adam and Jonathan Knight, "Journals under pressure: Publish, and be damned..." Nature 419, 772 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v419/n6909/full/419772a_fs.html

October 31, 2002, Paul Recer, AP Science Writer, "Journal Science retracts discredited researcher's papers," Associated Press
http://www.nandotimes.com/healthscience/story/600633p-4650167c.html or
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56125,00.html

November 2002, David Goodstein, "In the matter of J. Hendrik Schön," Physics World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/11/2

November 1, 2002, Z. Bao et al., "Retraction" (of eight papers previously published in Science), Science 298, 961 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5595/961b?etoc

November 1, 2002, Kristen Philipkoski, "Shamed Scientist's Work Fills Web," Wired News
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,56137,00.html

November 7, 2002, Paul Smaglik, "Learning from misconduct," Naturejobs 420, 3 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/nlink/v420/n6911/full/nj6911-03a_fs.html

November 21, 2002, Geoff Brumfiel, "Physics guidelines drop equal-responsibility clause," Nature 420, 258 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v420/n6913/full/420258b_fs.html

November 21, 2002, Current APS Statements (includes new statements concerning research misconduct and professional ethics, standards, and practices)
http://www.aps.org/statements

November 22, 2002, M. R. Beasley et al., "Defining Scientific Misconduct," Science 298, 1554 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1554a?etoc

November 22, 2002, M. Phillips, "Should Coauthors Share Liability?" Science 298, 1554 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1554b?etoc

November 22, 2002, D. Rennie, "A Proposal for Transparency," Science 298, 1554 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1554c?etoc

November 22, 2002, D. Kennedy, "Response," Science 298, 1554 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5598/1554c?etoc

December 19, 2002, "Opinion: Trust and how to sustain it," Nature 420, 719 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v420/n6917/full/420719a_fs.html

December 19, 2002, Rex Dalton, "Misconduct: The stars who fell to Earth," Nature 420, 728 (2002)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v420/n6917/full/420728a_fs.html

December 20, 2002, Belle Dumé, "Low points of the year," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/6/12/14 - 11

December 20, 2002, Robert F. Service, "Breakdown of the Year: Physics Fraud," Science 298, 2303 (2002).
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/298/5602/2303

December 31, 2002, Retractions of several Phys. Rev. B papers and one Phys. Rev. Lett. paper
http://publish.aps.org/

January 3, 2003, Robert F. Service, "Scientific Misconduct: More of Bell Labs Physicist's Papers Retracted," Science 299, 31 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5603/31b

January 9, 2003, Myriam P. Sarachik, "Strict guidelines make it clear who's responsible," Nature 421, 111 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v421/n6919/full/421111c_fs.html

January 24, 2003, Cornelius Cooper, "Revisiting Coauthor Responsibility," Science 299, 511 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5606/511c?etoc

February 27, 2003, Philip Ball, "Physicists fail to find saving grace for falsified research," Nature 421, 878 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v421/n6926/full/421878a_fs.html

March 6, 2003, "Retractions' realities," Nature 422, 1 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/422001a_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Superconductivity in CaCuO₂ as a result of field-effect doping," Nature 422, 92 (2003) http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01462_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Superconductivity in single crystals of the fullerene C₇₀," Nature 422, 92 (2003) http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01463_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Self-assembled monolayer organic field-effect transistors," Nature 422, 92 (2003) http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01464_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Gate-induced superconductivity in a solution-processed organic polymer film," Nature 422, 92 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01465_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Superconductivity at 52 K in hole-doped C₆₀," Nature 422, 93 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01466_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Superconductivity in molecular crystals induced by charge injection," Nature 422, 93 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01467_fs.html

March 6, 2003, J. H. Schön et al., "Retraction: Efficient organic photovoltaic diodes based on doped pentacene," Nature 422, 93 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6927/full/nature01468_fs.html

May 2, 2003, D. Kennedy, "Editorial Retraction (I)," Science 300, 737 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5620/737b?etoc

May 2, 2003, D. Kennedy, "Editorial Retraction (II)," Science 300, 737 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5620/737c?etoc

July 10, 2003, Alison Abbot and Phillip Graf, "Survey reveals mixed feelings over scientific misconduct," Nature 424, 117 (2003); doi:10.1038/424117a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v424/n6945/full/424117a_fs.html

July 11, 2003, Gretchen Vogel, "Germany: Fraud Investigations Come Up Dry," Science 301, 150 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/301/5630/150b

July 18, 2003, Shawn G. Clouthier, "Plagiarism Erodes Scientific Integrity," Science 301, 311 (2003) http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/301/5631/311?etoc

August 8, 2003, Donald Kennedy, "Multiple Authors, Multiple Problems," Science 301, 733 (2003) http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/301/5634/733?etoc

By John R. Clem, Science Consultant