Image manipulation/alteration and image duplication have been getting a lot of attention in the news media and in journals lately – for example:
- Bik, Elisabeth. “Science has a nasty photoshopping problem.” The New York Times (Oct. 2022).
- Kulkarni S. How papers with doctored images can affect scientific reviews. Nature. 2024 Apr;628(8007):242-243. doi: 10.1038/d41586-024-00875-2. PMID: 38565903.
It is in the best interest of all involved in the research process to ensure they have a good understanding of best practices for image processing and for detecting any misconduct.
The following resources are good options to have a look at:
1) From the MSK Library’s e-book collection:
- Cromey, D.W. (2012). Digital Images Are Data: And Should Be Treated as Such. In: Taatjes, D., Roth, J. (eds) Cell Imaging Techniques. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 931. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-056-4_1
2) From ORI – The Office of Research Integrity:
- Guidelines for Best Practices in Image Processing
https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/RIandImages/guidelines/list.html - Online Learning Tool for Research Integrity and Image Processing
https://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/RIandImages/default.html - Forensice Tools
https://ori.hhs.gov/forensic-tools
3) From STM Integrity Hub – STM (stm-assoc.org):
- STM – International Association of STM Publishers. Image alteration and duplication in scientific publications — Module 1, Image Aberrations (1st of a 4-part series). (Video, 23:39 min) “The first in a series of instructional videos scholarly journal editors can use to learn how to better screen for manipulated images in submitted manuscripts.”
Questions? Be sure to Ask Us at the MSK Library!