I doubt this petition will achieve retraction, though I signed it . If it does I will be pleasantly surprised. What it does is give us more ammunition for advocacy.
However if other moves are afoot we might assist them to gain traction. A formal independent review of PACE may well achieve retraction of both the research and many commentaries.
The petition is happening at a time when other things - the Tuller article, and now the Coyne article - are bringing serious scrutiny to the exceptionally poor science in PACE. Big-name scientists including
@Jonathan Edwards, Ron Davis and the others in Tuller's article are now joining in and if we can show the huge disapproval of thousands of patients then the journals that published this crap are going to be under enormous pressure.
Don't underestimate the power of this, Alex! The PACE authors have tried to pass criticism of PACE off as coming from a "small, vocal minority". This petition - with its clear and simple background pages - explains the bad science so there's no hiding it, and shows that vast numbers of patients are demanding action, not just a handful.
And #MEAction have the political skills to leverage this!
So sign the petition, guys! Spread the word far and wide. If you know of ME and related charities who haven't yet featured it on FB, please drop them an email and ask them to do so.