Ray said (selected quotes)

>Or indeed, may not be THE RIGHT TIME to publish it.

>Serious thought should be given to the topic, to
>whether it is the right time for the research to be done and after the
>research is completed, serious consideration must be given to whether the
>profession is ready for the results.

>Kilmartin's paper on paediatric HAV should not have been
>published. It was the wrong time (and published in the wrong place if you
>ask me) in my opinion.

>Phew...that's a long-winded way of saying that it's not always a good idea
>to publish the results of certain research!  

And this has probably happened in countless medical catastrophes around the
world - take for instance the research the tobacco companies have held back
for many years.  Surely the fundamental premise of research is that it
contributes to the worldwide knowledge of a subject.  Simply  "sweeping it
under the carpet" is dangerous, and in the medical field may cause undue
suffering.

Of course you need to view research in the context of it's limitations.
However when there is a large amount of research (and growing larger)
suggesting one thing, I am getting very concerned when there are people
wanting to "sweep it under the carpet", because it does not suit their
profession's agenda.  This research is not being published to purely satisfy
egos: often it is published with the researcher knowing damn well THEIR
profession is going to dislike what they have found (two very good
colleagues of mine have been through this process and from their accounts it
is a very difficult task).  It would be highly dishonest for that researcher
to then not publish their work to save themselves from the wrath of their
profession.

Cheers from a windswept Sydney,

Karl

Karl Landorf
Lecturer
Division of Podiatry
Faculty of Health
University of Western Sydney, Macarthur
P.O. Box 555
Campbelltown   NSW   2560
AUSTRALIA

Phone: (02) 4620 3758
Fax: (02) 4620 3792
Website: http://FOHWEB.macarthur.uws.edu.au/podiatry/welcome.htm



%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%