By Julien Colomb | June 21, 2018
see copyrighted material here: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6352/654.1
In brief, a paper was retracted from science because the raw data could not be presented. The computer containing the data has apparently been stolen and no backup existed.
There are other similar stories on retractionwatch.com (https://retractionwatch.com/2016/02/23/we-are-living-in-hell-authors-retract-2nd-paper-due-to-missing-raw-data/, https://retractionwatch.com/2017/01/20/boom-headshot-disputed-video-game-paper-retracted/). It is not always clear if there were misconduct, but it seems the absence of data makes it impossible for researchers to prove they did not misconduct.
Interestingly also this paper: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-012047 with this comment: “Retractions due to problems with the data may be reduced by appropriate data sharing and deposition before publication.”
Interesting comments:
There were no rules that you had to keep the data.
One of the co-authors was stripped of her PhD.
the authors of the original study were unable to provide the raw data in order to confirm which data file was correct.
Distributed under a CC0 license
Collected by Julien Colomb, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3127-5520, data manager