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* 9:03am MDT, Important update – the images are apparently being removed by Elsevier (via Twitter; see updates below). I’ll continue to post updates if/when they come in.
This post is an attempt to bring together a bunch of information on a story that Jonathan Eisen broke yesterday (note below: it was posted on TOC ROFL on Wednesday). Pier Giorgio Righetti, a proteomics researcher from Milan recently published a paper on the proteome (group of proteins) found in coconut milk. The graphical abstract was, well, a little graphic, and more than a little sexist (the images have now been removed, but see Zen Faukles’ post for what they looked like).
This isn’t the first time Righetti’s pulled this stunt, though (again, note that the images have now been removed).
Both papers appeared in the Elsevier published “Journal of Proteomics” of which Righetti is the executive editor!!
Now, if that’s not enough to get your blood boiling, when Rajini Rao, a Professor and Graduate Program Director at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore wrote Reghetti last night, his response was, well, not helpful:
Hello Prof. Rao,
I wonder if you have been trained in the Vatican. As you claim to be professor of Physiology, let me alert you that this image is physiology at its best!
Take care,
Prof. Dr. Per Giorgio Reghetti
You can follow along at the Twitter hashtag #ProteomicsSexism. I’ll post updates below as they come.
Other takes on this story:
Maybe these graphical abstracts could be a little less graphic by Zen Faulkes
Journal of Proteomics, what the…?!?!?!?!? by OdysseyBlog
Reason #140 Why Sexist Bullshit in Academia is Not Okay by Dr. Isis
How not to write an apology … by Dr. Isis
This doesn’t belong in science. At all. by DrugMonkey
Not how I wanted to spend spring break by Joshua Drew
Journal of Proteomics gets weird by Jenna Bilbrey
Not cool, professore by Sylvie Coyaud in Ocasapiens in La Repubblica (in Italian)
Sexism charge hits proteomics journal – and you’ll see why by Retraction Watch
Some humour from Alex Wild: Elsevier’s latest journal is just for bros
Professor’s coconuts are causing quite a bit of breast-beating in The Times (subscription required, ht Tom Whipple)
I’ve got a lovely bunch of proteomes! Professor in sexism row for picture of girl covered by coconuts in protein research paper in The Daily Mail
— —
8:00am MDT – I neglected to mention that Righetti doesn’t own the images, so they likely violate the journal/publisher copyright agreements. At least one appears to be from a website called “Sexiest US Bartenders”
8:02am MDT – apparently, Reghetti has four such papers: 1) here; 2) here; 3) here; and 4) here (ht Michael Hawkes)
8:25am MDT – you can contact the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Proteomics, Juan Calvete, here (note that Dr. Calvete has included his form-letter reply in the comments below)
9:00 MDT – Apparently Elsevier is now aware, as Tom Reller tweeted, and they are looking into it.
9:03 MDT – the images are apparently going to be removed
9:08 MDT – I’m a little late with this, but Bug G. Membracid on Twitter (here and here) found one of the images Righetti used & modified
9:25 MDT – Elsevier has confirmed the images will be removed, via Twitter
11:02 MDT – the editor of the Journal of Proteomics has responded (a form response sent to various folks by email, and also left in the Comments section below). Seems like a non-apology to me.
11:21 MDT – thanks to Zen Faulkes for pointing out that the whole thing was picked up by TOC ROFL 3 days ago.
11:31 MDT – Jonathan Eisen has put together a Storify of the various tweets around the whole incident
13:17 MDT – it appears the three papers of Righetti’s in the Journal of Proteomics are not currently available on the journal’s website; the fourth in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta remains unaltered.
17:39 MDT – I’ve cleaned up the typos and added the links
24 March, 19:48 MDT – word from Zen Faulkes that the three graphical abstracts in the Journal of Proteomics have been removed, and the papers are available again. Interestingly, there’s no accompanying correction notice. Juan Calvete seems to also be trolling pretty hard at Zen’s and Dr. Isis’ posts. Righetti has is also no longer listed as an Executive Editor at the Journal of Proteomics.
25 March 18:14 MDT – New coverage from The Times (subscription required)
27 March 17:44 MDT – New coverage from The Daily Mail
The Lab and Field 
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Doesn’t do much for the image of Italian science…. Not sure what time the comment form Elsevier about pulling the images was made, but they are still there. You’d have thought they’d have made it a priority.
Oooops, ignore second half of that, just realised there’s a real-time Twitter feed 🙂
Dear Colleague,
Thanks for kindly letting me know that a graphical abstract published in Journal of Proteomics is getting unwelcome publicity. Although I, personally, do not think that the alluded images are sexist (as well as I would not consider it sexist if a man were represented), at least this was neither the intention of the authors nor of the editor, I cn agree that this kind of images may be inappropriate for illustrating a scientific paper, and consequently have asked our journal manager to remove them. If anyone has been offended, officially apologize for that, and I hope to give settle the case as soon as possible to devote to the lab, which is what should take me up most of the day.
Best
Juan
Dear Juan,
Ask yourself this: do you honestly think that, for one moment, any of the authors of those two papers considered using an image of a partly-dressed, provocatively posing man to illustrate the abstract?
The answer to that question should give you an idea of why the research community believes that USING the images was sexist and why your comment that “I would not consider it sexist if a man were represented” shows that you fail to understand the issue here.
Jeff
Dear Jeff,
I have asked myself the same question before writing the previous message. I do not write a message without thinking first on what I’m stating… and I’m also part of the scientific community. And, please, don’t cite just half of what I stated. I said that I don’t consider the image sexist whether it show a girl or a man. This is not the same as what you put in my mouth, that I would not consider it sexist if a man were represented”. My previous statement does not make distinction on gender, your’s gives the impression that I did… But perhaps it’s just because of my bad English. Next time I will write in Spanish!
Best
Juan
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How is the coconut photo *not* sexist in this context? You sound like David St. Hubbins responding to Bobbi Flekman in This is Spinal Tap. (Hint: that is a spoof movie which was lampooning the absolute cluelessness of a rock star dolt.)
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Bravo, Lab & Field, we’ll try to spread the news.
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