EXCLUSIVE: ‘Debunked’ Study Served As Key Pillar In Academia’s DEI Temple

Now, the new report by Do No Harm shows the lasting impact of the study in the scientific literature despite its serious flaws. The flagship journals of prestigious medical associations often cited the paper in articles that advocate for affirmative action in medical school admissions and DEI programs for physicians, according to Do No Harm, which opposes identity politics in medical research and clinical practice. 

In all, the study has received 786 citations in the scientific literature, Google Scholar shows. Sixty-six citations occurred this year. 

The study provides a case study in how unsound science that serves a predetermined policy goal can permeate the scientific literature, the halls of academia and the media, the report argues. Its centrality to the scientific literature justifying DEI in academic medicine should provoke a second look at that scientific literature, according to Ian Kingsbury, director of Research at Do No Harm.

“This was holding up much of the DEI enterprise. It’s the foundational study in racial concordance mythology,” Kingsbury said.

The enduring impact of the study also raises questions about the rigor of scientific journals and exposes the fallibility of peer review, according to Do No Harm. PNAS has not retracted the study.

When it comes to allegations of liberal bias in scientific journals, the racial concordance field may be “ground zero,” Kinsgbury said.

Read more in the Daily Caller.