SHIP: Lack of transparency impacts on hydraulic fracturing research

Transparency is at the heart of good scientific practice, and the disclosure of researchers’ possible conflicts of interests an important component of transparency. Lack of transparency has now led to the withdrawal of the study released by the Energy Institute at The University of Texas at Austin in April, 2012, "Fact-Based Regulation for Environmental Protection in Shale Gas Development".

Another incident saw the closure of the recently established Shale Resources and Society Institute SRSI at SUNY Buffalo University in November, as a result of an internal investigation of the institute. This investigation was prompted by allegations of plagiarism, regarding parts of the institute´s first study, “Environmental Impacts during Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling: Causes, Impacts, and Remedies", and suspicion that the authors had undisclosed ties to industry.  MORE