“Science is a tool. Good or evil will depend on the good or bad use we make of it.”

On October 10, the Bad Science and Medicine Beyond Evidence symposium was held. In it, Dr. Jose Ramon Rebollo Labrador, Professor Emeritus of Health Planning and Economics at the National School of HealthThis was highlighted “You have to start teaching critical thinking from an early age.” “There is tremendous ignorance in society.”He was warned. “So much scientific information is being produced that it must be aggregated to make it effectively available. This requires investment from public authorities.”. And it continued, “Moreover, the wind is blowing in favor of technology that can replace professionals, but proximity is missing.”. short, “We have to continue to love good science, as we always have.”

background

daytime, Dr. Ferran Catala Lopeza scientist at the Center for Humanities and Social Sciences CSICHe spoke from the point of view of scholars. And so he saw it “Science is a tool. Good or evil will depend on the good or bad use we make of it.”. So, “One crucial aspect of ‘bad’ science that often goes unnoticed is the lack of transparency.”. In this context, “The scientific stance is what distinguishes science from its critics (denialism, pseudoscience…).”. She also explained that 5 out of 10 studies do not submit their results in the EUCTR registry one year after their completion, according to 2018 data, which is not in compliance with the law. As of yesterday, the number has risen dramatically.

And so it goes, “AI will change the way we work in health.” “We have been working for years to improve transparency, and to do this we have guides to guide researchers. We are critical. In short, guides to submitting research can help improve quality and transparency.”

The expert commented on the climate in which the researchers appear. In this sense, he pointed out: “The number of publications is a ‘currency’ in research.” And this is it “To move research from quantity to quality, we must go beyond simply declaring good intentions.”

In conclusion, I asked: Is biomedical research beneficial to health? “This should be the case, as is most research, but bad science can cause harm to populations. Therefore, it is necessary to promote good practices, modify old and widely entrenched practices, and encourage cooperation.”

Scientific misconduct has direct consequences for population health

For her part, Dr. Cristina Candal Pedrera, Nurse and researcher in epidemiology and public healthHe addressed scientific misconduct. In this context, it was stated that “For years there has been a lot of talk about fraud in science, and access to the population.”. Thus, I explained: what it is, how it arises, and its modern types. “Ethics are key,” remember that “Research ends when a scientific article is published and disseminated. This must also be done with ethical principles.” eligible. “There are a fair number of retractions of scientific articles. This may be due to error or scientific misconduct, which is the most common.” It has been determined. So, “Measuring scientific misconduct is very complex.”

On the other hand, “the Ministry of Science and Innovation has the largest budget for research, development and innovation in 2023.”

He also stressed that in other sectors, supply adapts to demand, but in research, can it be deployed indefinitely? He expresses that all of this is driven by the benefits of publishing and academic work. “Now there is pressure to publish and we must not forget that it is one of the most profitable businesses.” “Predatory journals are deceptive and often false journals that appear legitimate upon peer review and influence the academic world, and sometimes cost less to publish than other journals. In addition, they are difficult to identify, because they are increasingly more complex.”

In conclusion, he stressed that in addition, “There are new forms of scientific misconduct. And they vary over time.” Paper mills are for-profit organizations dedicated to mass-producing scientific manuscripts, the vast majority of which are fabricated or stolen, for sale to researchers, reportedly involving systematic manipulation and massive inclusion of fabricated scientific evidence in the literature. .

The importance of the role of communication

he Mr. Alvaro Garcia Torres, Communications Coordinator for the Collegiate Medical Organizationhas investigated the role of information. What role do professional organizations play? “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us the impact that accurate communication can have in debunking rumors and guiding residents towards informed decisions.” And he continued “This also would not have been possible without the presence of specialized scientific journalists, and without the communications departments of organizations.”

In the current context there is “Denialism, economic interests, social networking, fake media, political or anti-vaccine interests.” Therefore, there is a need for moral obligation. Combating apparent misinformation, or promoting science in communications, responds to the moral and ethical obligation of the medical profession. “There must be a dual goal: reducing the impact of misinformation on public health and promoting science, as well as health, by dismantling denial.”

In short, he urges, “The health, credibility and influence of institutions is at stake. We need more science and real journalism.”