1. Handling Problem Manuscripts The nature of the problem Common ethical issues What to do

2. Reasons for retractions Fang FC, Steen RG, Casadevall A., PNAS 2012

3. Percent of published articles retracted for fraud or suspected fraud Fang FC, Steen RG, Casadevall A., PNAS 2012

4. JBC Problem Manuscripts Number of manuscript problems

5. Common Ethical Issues 90% of problems found in gel images Gel splicing Duplicate image Dropped background Cloning, masking, cleaning up (J. Krueger, ORI)

6. GEL SPLICING AND DUPLICATION ORI gradient tool Common Ethical Issues

7. DUPLICATE IMAGE Common Ethical Issues

8. DUPLICATE IMAGE Common Ethical Issues ORI gradient tool

9. DUPLICATE IMAGES IN MICROGRAPHS Common Ethical Issues

10. DROPPED BACKGROUND Were these bands just copied onto a white(-ish) background? YES Common Ethical Issues

11. ORI gradient tool What’s missing? Common Ethical Issues MASKING AND “CLEANING UP”

12. 90% of problems found in gel images Gel splicing Duplicate image Dropped background Cloning, masking, “cleaning up” 99% of these problems were image preparation errors NOT FRAUD Common Ethical Issues (J. Krueger, ORI)

13. Prior publication Simultaneous submission to more than one journal Plagiarism Human / animal protocols Statement of conflict of interest Authorship issues Other Kinds of Ethical Issues

14. Finding problems BEFORE publication

15. Find problems before publication Be alert to image manipulation

16. Increase brightness Zoom Zoom in on blots

17. Find problems before publication Be alert to image manipulation-Zoom, enlarge figures Be alert to prior publication-Check PubMed Review manuscripts for compliance with JBC policies Human/animal protocols Conflict of interest statement

18. What to do Report suspicions promptly to the associate editor Maintain confidentiality