Dutch 'Lord of the Data' Forged Dozens of Studies

By Gretchen Vogel
Science Magazine

Diederik Stapel

One of the Netherlands' leading social psychologists made up or manipulated data in dozens of papers over nearly a decade, an investigating committee has concluded.

Diederik Stapel was suspended from his position at Tilburg University in the Netherlands in September after three junior researchers reported that they suspected scientific misconduct in his work. Soon after being confronted with the accusations, Stapel reportedly told university officials that some of his papers contained falsified data. The university launched an investigation, as did the University of Groningen and the University of Amsterdam, where Stapel had worked previously. The Tilburg commission today released an interim report (in Dutch), which includes preliminary results from all three investigations. The investigators found "several dozens of publications" in which fictitious data has been used. Fourteen of the 21 Ph.D. theses Stapel supervised are also tainted, the committee concluded. 

The entire story can be read here.

Diederik Stapel returned his doctoral degree as reported today (11/11/11) in Science Insider.

An additional and more comprehensive report (added 11/17/11) can be found here.

Photo by Jack Tummers.