[Research for sale. Risks of contract research]

In recent years it has become more and more apparent that contract research not only has obvious advantages, but risks also. It has been found that occasionally investigators are pressed to modify the conclusions of their work if the conclusions conflict with the interests of the funding organisation. In other cases, the publication of results is obstructed or retarded. Not only commercial companies, but also governmental and other non-profit institutions are guilty of these practices. If research findings are not presented or are presented in an altered form, not only will science be obstructed, but also the entire society will suffer. The responsibility for preventing these practices not only falls with the investigators, but also with their research institutions and the funding organisations.