So where to go now? We should quantify how big a problem this actually is, or whether me and Maggie Koerth-Baker simply ran across some unusual anecdotes. The National Association of Science Writers might be a good place to go to quiz public information officers in academia, government, associations and companies regarding their practices. We also want to go to scientists, in case we're running across issues such as whether some authors on a paper are getting contacted while others are not. More to come!
The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Charles Q. Choi is a frequent contributor to Scientific American. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, Science, Nature, Wired, and LiveScience, among others. In his spare time, he has traveled to all seven continents. Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter