Today’s Wall Street Journal reports the story of William W. Clark, a medical researcher at Washington University in St. Louis who has served as an expert witness for industries in lawsuits, after working as a consultant for them and receiving research funds from them. In his research, Mr. Clark has found no hearing loss caused by employment as a miner, a railroad worker, or a firefighter.
It’s not unusual for academics to serve as paid expert witnesses in lawsuits brought against industries. This is particularly so in the field of occupational health, where many scientists feel that business interests drive research agendas and may muddy the ethical norms of academe.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Occupational-Health Research for Hire?
The Chronicle:: —Lila Guterman
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