Claiming overreach by a new publisher, the journal’s
editorial board asks for disciplinary action from the National Library
of Medicine.
by Lisa Song
This story has been updated to include a link to earlier reporting by Retraction Watch.
For much of its 22-year existence, few outside the corner of
science devoted to toxic chemicals paid much attention to the
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.
But now, a feud has erupted over the small academic publication, as
its editorial board — the scientists who advise the journal’s direction
and handle article submissions — has accused the journal’s new owner of
suppressing a paper and promoting “corporate interests over independent
science in the public interest.”
More is at stake than just the journal’s direction.
IJOEH is best known for exposing so-called “product defense science” —
industry-linked studies that defend the safety of products made by
their funders. At a time when the Trump administration is advancing policies and nominees sympathetic to the chemical industry, the journal seems to be veering in the same direction.
“There are many scientists who work for corporations who are honest
scientists,” said David Michaels, the former head of the federal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration under President Obama.
“What we’re concerned about here is the ‘mercenary science’ … that’s
published purely to influence regulation or litigation, and doesn’t
contribute to public health.”
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