Four researchers falsified science data, says UM

PETALING JAYA: A probe has revealed that the four researchers from Universiti Malaya (UM) had indeed falsified their research data.

UM vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin said the findings from the investigation suggested that all four articles were prepared with a single set of data.

A committee set up by the university to conduct an in-depth investigation into the allegations that the group had allegedly falsified research data found that there were duplication and/or manipulation of almost all the figures (images and graphs) within the original Scientific Reports paper and across three other papers.

“As UM adheres to a strict policy of integrity and ethical practices in research, the authors have been asked to retract all published articles in Scientific Reports, PeerJ and Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery immediately,” he said in a statement.

In addition, Dr Mohd Amin said the author and co-authors have also been interviewed by the committee.

“As a research university, UM does not condone any form of research misconduct and allegations of malpractice in research are taken seriously by the university’s management,” he said.

Dr Mohd Amin said the committee consisted of senior members from the Faculty of Medicine.

He said a complete report has been submitted to the university’s Research Integrity and Ethics Committee for further deliberation, including appropriate disciplinary action to be taken on the researchers.

The committee, which was chaired by Faculty of Medicine dean Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, said the university will be taking disciplinary action after investigations are completed.

She believed this was the first time this had happened in the university.