The London School of Economics (Lse) Review of Books - Is Publication, Not Truth, Now the Driving Pursuit of Science

This review offers a discerning examination of The Credibility Crisis in Science: Tweakers, Fraudsters, and the Manipulation of Empirical Results, in which Thomas Plümper and Eric Neumayer confront the increasingly fraught terrain of contemporary research integrity. The authors trace the subtle gradations between methodological opportunism and outright scientific misconduct, revealing how structural incentives within academia—publication pressures, competitive funding regimes, and reputational economies—can distort empirical inquiry. Their analysis situates individual malfeasance within broader systemic vulnerabilities, arguing that the erosion of trust in scientific outputs is neither accidental nor isolated but symptomatic of deeper epistemic and institutional fissures. The book ultimately advances a sober yet constructive call for reform, urging the scientific community to re‑centre transparency, replicability, and ethical stewardship as the foundations of credible knowledge production.