Many scientists who work for the feds feel silenced: survey
Posted October 22, 2013 6:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Almost a quarter of science professionals in the federal public service accuse the government of silencing them, according to a new survey.
But Canada’s labour minister says there are avenues scientists can take if they feel they’re being muzzled.
“I encourage them to do exactly what I did: Submit your papers for peer review publication. Your peers will review them, and then we know those evidence-based research papers are seen across the world,” says Kellie Leitch.
“The majority of my colleagues who believe there should be peer-review publications agree that all scientists should be doing that,” she adds.
Leitch says the federal government is proud of the work done by Canadian scientists.
Ninety per cent of those asked in the survey commissioned by the Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada say they don’t feel free to talk to the media.
One in four say they’ve been told to change findings for non-scientific reasons.
