National Academy of Sciences President Ralph J. Cicerone, who attended a Sunnylands retreat in February that addressed the issue of ensuring the integrity of science, addressed the 152nd annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences on April 27. In his speech, he submitted to the hundreds of scientists gathered at the conference protocols suggested at and resulting from the Sunnylands meeting.

Cicerone spoke about the process for correcting what happens when errors are published in scientific journals. He noted that at the Sunnylands retreat, “it was suggested that there is a need for two different kinds of paper retractions: ‘voluntary’ and ‘for cause.’ The former category would be seen as a positive contribution and the latter would be viewed negatively.”

The retreat at Sunnylands was organized by Sunnylands Program Director Kathleen Hall Jamieson and convened jointly with the National Academy of Sciences. In addition to Ralph Cicerone, there were 12 leading scientists who attended.

Read more about this Sunnylands retreat and ensuring the integrity of science.