There must be a culturally-creative way around this sticking point of human (and corporate) nature. Required reporting, as with industrial accidents? Anonymous publication? A Nobel Prize for the best idea that didn’t pan out? “[Fewer Than 1 in 5 Cancer Trials Published,” NYTimes.com Ideas Blog, 26 September 2008
Medicine | A medical journal says a vast amount of cancer research is never published, perhaps because clinical trials show the drugs or treatments didn’t work. That deprives other researchers of valuable knowledge. Why this happens: scientists, medical journals and drug firms all have an interest in touting breakthroughs and not failure. [Business Week, Oncologist]
Sep 26, 2008, updated Mar 31, 2025