[Velvet]

In my field, in applied sciences, research is more often modified rather than retracted. We simply learn more with time. Although the source of money for funding the research sometimes can have an “influence”. Real life results tend to be your “peer review”. Either it works or it doesn’t. And how often. In the soft sciences, for example, psychology, which my daughter does research in, interpretation and politics can influence the peer review.

When my daughter was doing her oral defense, the committee was divided. Her chair lady, locked the doors of the room and said, “Gentlemen, it seems like we have not reached a consensus yet. We will stay here until we do.” It was nice to have this lady as the chair of your PhD committee, she never had a student not pass. You couldn’t do that in my field.