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. 2016 Feb 26:5:222.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.8114.3. eCollection 2016.

How blockchain-timestamped protocols could improve the trustworthiness of medical science

Greg Irving  1 , John Holden  2
Affiliations

How blockchain-timestamped protocols could improve the trustworthiness of medical science

Greg Irving et al. F1000Res. .

Retraction in

Abstract

Trust in scientific research is diminished by evidence that data are being manipulated. Outcome switching, data dredging and selective publication are some of the problems that undermine the integrity of published research. Methods for using blockchain to provide proof of pre-specified endpoints in clinical trial protocols were first reported by Carlisle. We wished to empirically test such an approach using a clinical trial protocol where outcome switching has previously been reported. Here we confirm the use of blockchain as a low cost, independently verifiable method to audit and confirm the reliability of scientific studies.

Keywords: bitcoin; blockchain; clinical trials; data.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: No competing interests were disclosed.

References

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