Conflicts of Interest

As a producer of content on the Internet and scientific inquiry, I am (as is everyone) affected by biases and conflicts of interest. Numerous ways have been developed and are used by (most) scientists to minimize these biases, yet specifically the impact of conflicts of interest in science is still great.

These may be the focus of inquiry, external pushes to publish early or cease publication, and of course financial considerations. However, not all financial considerations are directly renumarative. Large publishers, such as Elsevier or Springer, demand huge sums from scientists wishing to publish findings. Often, this amount alone stifles publication and directly harms science.

That said…

• I receive a small grant from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to further research into community transmission of fecal-oral pathogens. This grant requires me to focus on fecal-oral pathogens, meaning I may not adequately portray other pathongens’ real impact ratio.
• I strongly believe, that vaccinations and barrier measures help manage pandemic and endemic spread of diseases. I am biased here and will need to employ extra measures to ensure I do not outright dismiss or minimize evidence to the contrary.
• I received a measurable financial contribution from an individual, which enabled me to continue my research into EBV.

Also…

The publication of research and data on the Internet is necessarily split into a scientific and a popular scientific branch. When creating content for the web or in video, I strive to remain as scientifically accurate and neutral as possible. Regulations of some publication platforms (YouTube to name one), however, require me to either tone down scientific realities or omit them.