SummaryThis publication presents a new visual method for the assessment of tree-stability and tree safety. The contribution of this method is the synthesis and integration of previously published tree assessment methods. The key points of this paper are considered as critical for the further enhancement of current visual tree-stability and safety assessment. The briefly described method is very accessible and proves to be highly efficient in the field. By integrating knowledge from different research disciplines and methods, a higher level of understanding, about how trees stand up or fall down, is achieved.

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A reliable and accurate method for tree risk assessment has been the holy grail of arboriculture for decades. With so much at stake if we get it wrong, arboriculturists must continue to question and re-evaluate the methods available to us.

According to Nature, irresponsible research practices (IRP) in science seem to have become a major concern. And also Science has reported retractions of corona virus (COVID-19) papers due to research misconduct. Hence, scientific integrity is becoming widely scrutinised in many fields, but open and public debate on this subject has not started yet in the field of arboriculture and (urban) forestry. IRP can cause long-lasting damage, as they can generate flawed methodologies. This qualitative, systematic review addresses the question whether IRP and Fabrication, Falsification and Plagiarism (FFP) could have pervaded arboriculture and (urban) forestry. More than 600 publications were reviewed for potential inclusion. Relevant examples of IRP/FFP, were taken from literature that offered innovative concepts and new ideas, allegedly scientific and solid results or have made a great impact in the research field and beyond. More than one hundred publications were finally included to support the arguments. Many claims currently seem to have the quality of unsupported suggestions, against which contrary evidence can easily be found. Also IRP/FFP could widely be found regarding commercial tools and methods, predatory publishers and obscure editorial and citational practices, among others. Moreover, voices have been raised in favour of criminalising research misconduct and the observations made herein may thus be of interest to a wider public.

Cet article est une approche critique des tests de traction utilisés pour évaluer la solidité et la résistance des arbres Statics Integrated Assessment (évalua-tion intégrée de la statique) et Static integrated Method, SIA (méthode statique intégrée).