Science has issued an expression of concern for a widely covered materials science paper published on Friday, citing issues with the supplementary data.
The paper — which caught the attention of multiple news outlets — added properties to cotton fibers in vitro, potentially enabling researchers to manufacture fabric that can fluoresce or carry magnetic properties.
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A spokesperson for Science told us:
The [Editorial Expression of Concern] originated from a discussion with an individual who contacted the journal after seeing the paper under embargo from a journalist. This alerted the editors to errors in the labeling and/or identification of the pigments used for the control experiments detailed in figs. S1 and S2 of the Supplementary Materials.
Science is now currently awaiting full explanation and clarification from the authors. We hope to resolve this issue quickly.
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The results of the paper as published were reported by multiple news outlets, including Science‘s news section, Forbes (which suggested it may be the “biggest advance in cotton technology since Eli Whitney’s gin”), and Discover.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Post-publication peer review in action: Science flags paper just days after publication
