April 23, 2008

California Court Protects a Professor's Right to Criticize Research

By Richard Monastersky

How far can one scientist go in criticizing the work of another before committing libel? A California judge decided this week that, at least in the bizarre case of a controversial study involving prayer, words like "fraud," "guilty," and "plagiarism" are fair game in the scientific literature.

"We're breathing a sigh of relief," said Bruce L. Flamm, who wrote those critical words about the study. The resolution to the case was a victory for academic freedom, said Dr. Flamm, a

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