A study published originally in the journal called Scientific Reports and later released in other news outlets, including The Washington Post and The Hill, found that there is a link between a frequent cellphone and other mobile device use and bone deformities in the back of the skull.
However, a scientific journal has said that it will reevaluate the study after critics pointing out numerous flaws with the findings of the report.
On Tuesday, PBS Newshour reported that editors of the magazine have been looking into issues in the study. They found that the researchers of the study did not measure the cellphone use of the participants.
The critics also found that the researchers made wrong assertions about its own data in abstracts. For example, they stated that the study found the bone spurs to be more prevalent among men.
According to a Quartz article, one of the study’s lead authors, Dr. David Shahar, reportedly runs an online store known as “Dr. Posture” that sells posture-improving pillows for those who suffer from bad posture because of skeletal deformities or other issues.
The article also mentioned that patients participated in the study were solicited from Dr. Shahar’s personal chiropractor practice.
According to a spokesperson of Scientific Reports, the study was under review. The spokesperson said, “We are looking into issues regarding this paper and we will take action where appropriate.” The spokesperson added, “When any concerns are raised with Scientific Reports about papers we have published, we investigate them carefully following established procedures, but we cannot comment on the specific editorial history of a particular paper published in the journal.”
