Publication Visibility of Sensitive Public Health Data: When Scientists Bury Their Results

This study sought to find out if American toxic-exposure epidemiologists select where they publish the results of studies based on their potential to attract unwanted attention, in the form of media coverage, lawsuits, and pressure from the public to change health practices. The authors interviewed over sixty U.S. toxic-exposure epidemiologists, and found that while most expressed strong support for the norm of scientific openness, a significant minority had or would/might, given the right circumstances, publish sensitive data in less visible journals, so as to prevent unwanted media or public attention.