Fabrication in a study about honesty: A lost episode of columbo illustrating how forensic statistics is performed.

The three steps of a typical forensic statistical analysis are (1) verify that the raw data file is correct; (2) verify that the statistical analysis file derived from the raw data file is correct; and (3) verify that the statistical analyses are appropriate. We illustrate applying these three steps to a manuscript which was subsequently retracted, focusing on step 1. In the absence of an external source for comparison, criteria for assessing the raw data file were internal consistency and plausibility.

Evaluation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in home kitchens and bathrooms: Is there a link between home disinfectant use and antibiotic resistance?

Objective: To determine the relationship between home disinfectant use and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among environmental isolates of human pathogens.

Methods: Bacteria were cultured from 5 kitchen and 5 bathroom sites using quantitative methods. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by standard methods.

Treatment Effect Estimates From Pilot Trials Are Unreliable.

Context: The CONSORT guideline defines a pilot trial as a small-scale version of a desired future efficacy trial that is intended to answer the key questions of whether and how a larger study should be done. For example, a pilot trial might evaluate different approaches to data collection or outcome measurement. However, pilot trials are unreliable for assessing treatment efficacy due to the statistical phenomenon called sampling variability.

Needles in a Haystack: Finding Qualitative and Quantitative Collaborators in Academic Medical Centers.

Translational research is a data-driven process that involves transforming scientific laboratory- and clinic-based discoveries into products and activities with real-world impact to improve individual and population health. Successful execution of translational research requires collaboration between clinical and translational science researchers, who have expertise in a wide variety of domains across the field of medicine, and qualitative and quantitative scientists, who have specialized methodologic expertise across diverse methodologic domains. While many institutions are working to build networks of these specialists, a formalized process is needed to help researchers navigate the network to find the best match and to track the navigation process to evaluate an institution's unmet collaborative needs.