For the past several years, Vitaly Podzorov, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences, voluntarily has worked as part of a research integrity community to detect signs of potential scientific misconduct in peer-reviewed research papers. Working via PubPeer, an online platform established in 2012 to allow scientists to discuss research after publication, Podzorov and postdoctoral associate Vladimir Bruevich have posted detailed analyses and post-publication reviews on studies covering material science, solid-state physics and electronics.
In January, the founders of PubPeer, which has evolved into a central platform for researchers addressing doubts about the validity or integrity of scientific publications, recognized Podzorov with an award for “outstanding comments” that provide “significant, original contributions to scientific discussions.” Podzorov discusses how and why he became involved in the effort to discern errors in published research. To read the full story.