Sir

As collaborators of Anders Pape Møller we were shocked and surprised to read that he could have been accused of data fabrication (“Prolific ecologist vows to fight Danish misconduct verdict” Nature 427, 381; 2004).

We have never had cause to be concerned about any aspect of our collaborations. Møller is an admirable scientist, and his great organizational skills are a model of how to be productive in the face of competing time demands.

Most people are capable of much more than they actually accomplish, but they lack Møller's dedication and self-discipline. This is the secret of his phenomenal success, which has been so puzzling to the rest of the community. Clearly, these achievements have caused negative responses from some of his competitors. We would like to see a full, objective and independent inquiry into the allegations made against Møller.

Our experience tells us that Møller has the ability to completely focus on any task at hand, be it fieldwork, data analysis or writing papers. This, combined with more than a little natural talent, is sufficient to explain his exceptional productivity. We have worked with Møller on several projects, including collecting data under sometimes arduous conditions, and in all our dealings with him his behaviour has been beyond reproach.

We would ask colleagues to refrain from further public condemnation until any allegations have been proven beyond doubt.