[gtop3]

Astronomy is fantastic for preventing this type of fraud.

The data is incredibly open. Anyone can download datasets from telescopes, or build their own. Papers built on invalid data can be refuted by simply pointing telescopes at the location the paper is lying about. There are very few possible discoveries or theories in an astronomy journal that would immediately impact the wider culture.

Compare astronomy to sociology, in which questionnaire results can be fabricated and are essentially unconformable without using other unconformable questionnaires. Compare astronomy to economics, which the articles can be used bolster political positions.