jueves, 3 de junio de 2010

Stupid Censorchip vs. Radykaly Transparent Niñarky

'Chilling Effect': Can Science Get Taboo?

Study Finds Half of Scientists React to Political Controversy With Censorship

It's no secret that entertainers sometimes self-censor on topics like politics and sexuality in their work to gain mainstream acceptance and better pay. But according to a new study, scientists may be getting into the act as well.

red flag words
Medical researchers are prone to self-censorship if their area of study becomes too political or controversial, a new study suggests.
(ABCNews Photo Illustration)

A sociologist at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., questioned 157 scientists who found their work at the crux of a 2003 political clash between several members of Congress, a Christian lobbyist group called the Traditional Values Coalition and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Of the 112 scientists who responded to the survey and interviews, 51 percent said they have since self-censored their grant proposals to remove "red flag" words, such as gay, lesbian, AIDS, needle-exchange or anal sex from their titles or abstracts. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they either modified their studies to seem less controversial or abandoned controversial grant proposals.

Joanna Kempner, an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers, said the study attempts to quantify the "chilling effect" of political or ideological controversy on scientists.

Related

"That controversy leads to a chilling effect is a claim that one hears often," said Kempner. "I thought we could actually study it and see if that were true."

At the time of the 2003 debate, members of Congress had asked the NIH to explain the medical benefit of 10 government-funded studies some called inappropriate (eight of the studies were sexual in nature) or a waste of money. However, a staffer accidentally sent the NIH a much longer list of 250 proposed "questionable" studies that was later found to be compiled by the Traditional Values Coalition.

Then-NIH Director Elias Zerhouni decided to review the full list of studies, anyway, and sent a letter in 2004 defending the funding. While no studies lost their funding because of their inclusion on the list, Kempner said her work shows scientists do indeed react to controversy.

Reacting to the survey's findings, the current acting NIH director said self-censoring should not happen, and is not necessary.

"We don't have a litmus test for words that are acceptable on our applications; we want people to rigorously describe, and precisely describe their work," said Dr. Raynard S. Kington, acing director for the NIH.

Next Story: Gene Mapping: Predicting Your Future Health
Comment & Contribute

Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.

why are right wingers so afraid of science? Oh thats right, you can't control it
floatflyer13 11/19/08
Science is science and it always be. Problem is, that throughout times, science has been accomodating to the cultural thinking of the era in which science is developed. Brave minds and scientific facts will always prevail. Fortunately.
tangledsynapses 11/19/08
Reagan wasn't great, he bankrupted our country and sold arms to the Taliban. "Gender Studies" are just as important as any other area of college curriculum more so than "Intelligent Design". Go to any Big Ten school and ask the professors what church they attend. Global warming is one of the most readily identifiable scientific facts of our century (not a religion, which of course intelligent design is). You calling on the "volacnic theory" is fine for a temperature rise over 1,000 years not 16! The right wing own the media in this country, just ask anyone who identifies as a socialist, Marxist, etc. So as far as Reagan being right he was also a traitor to our constitution and should not be celebrated. This article correctly states: eople shouldn't have to identify or contend with religion, that's not an opinion, its the highest law of the land. So juvinile insults aside. Bring a real argument to the table.
maxpax73 11/18/08

No hay comentarios:

Publicar un comentario

yesyukan