SOC
Senior Member
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While I agree with your assessment, there's still a little voice reminding me that researchers have fabricated data for less compelling reasons than the PACE authors have.There's a big difference (by scientific standards) between the sort of spin and misrepresentation we've seen from PACE and outright fabricating their data. imo, there's no way they'd do that. At the moment a lot of people in authority would be willing to semi-back them with 'no study is perfect, less than ideal, mistakes were made, sure of good intentions' platitudes. If they were found to have fabricated data they'd be done.
My thinking atm is that they've published too much misinterpretation to be able to go back and falsify the data so that it fits all their claims. It's just too complex given you know there will be people going over it with fine-toothed combs. One way or another they'd get caught out. The amount of time and effort to cover their tracks would be immense, and even then I'm not sure it would be possible to make all the pieces fit together. Their best bet is to try to keep the data from the public entirely, and if that's not possible, to delay it so long that it becomes a non-issue (unlikely) or the major players retire and become beyond suffering any professional consequences for their misconduct.