Should politicians be permitted to interfere with the integrity of the scientific peer review process? Are elected officials qualified to judge the difference between high-quality and low-quality research?[/FONT] Originally Posted by JamieYoungUnfortunately, when organizations like NIH (or any other of the many governmental agencies) supply the funds they get to pull the puppet strings. If you want to use their money, you've got to kiss their bu**. That doesn't mean all government funded research is tainted by the politicians - BUT IT CERTAINLY CAN BE. The research/tasks can be defined (by the politicians or military personnel or government lackeys) in such a manner that outcomes are often predetermined. But it can also be solid scientific research. It just depends on who's running the show. I've been involved in both kinds.
BTW Thanks Jamie. It's nice to read a thought provoking thread that isn't bashing someone.... or did we just bash politicians? That's certainly allowed.