Jay D. Amsterdam: The Paroxetine 352 Bipolar Study Ethical Conduct

Daniel Kanofsky’s comment

        INHN is to be commended for publishing all the exhibits regarding the Paroxetine 352 study controversy. As I have commented previously, "It is astonishing that Amsterdam and McHenry were able to unearth and deconstruct, from these emails and documents, what is nothing short of an alarming story. Their deconstruction gives a unique glimpse behind the Wizard's Curtain of documented skullduggery in academic publishing within our field" (Kanofsky 2020).

        INHN and Amsterdam are now taking this one step further. Every week we are exposed to more primary evidence. Most of history is a secondhand account of what transpired. The historian views primary documents and we are privy to his interpretation of them. In the case of the Paroxetine 352 study controversy now we get to see "them.” This is a rare achievement. Transparency is king. Primary evidence is being presented on a weekly installment plan.

        Which brings me to my second point. These short installments, serious indictments which they are, nevertheless, make for entertaining reading. I look forward to studying them every week. It is reminiscent of how a Charles Dickens novel was presented in the 19th century. For more on this I recommend reading "When Dickens Came Via the Installment Plan" (Reif 1996). To continue the analogy Dickens was critiquing unjust economic and social conditions in Victorian era England. His writings contributed to important social reforms. It may be that future historians will use similar language to praise this INHN series.

References:

Kanofsky D. Comment. Jay D. Amsterdam and Leemon B. McHenry: The Paroxetine 352 Bipolar Study Revisited: Deconstruction of Corporate and Academic Misconduct.  inhn.org.controversies.   March 26, 2020. 

Reif R. When Dickens came via the installment plan. New York Times, ARTS/ARTIFACTS; March 3, 1996, p. 39.

March 17, 2022