America’s 400-plus designated Community Research Sites receive much less attention than the massive academic research hospitals, but conduct the bulk of the nation’s cancer research.

The New York Times’ Duff Wilson turns the spotlight on these sites, considering problems an HHS investigation uncovered at an institution in Urbana, Ill., that may show that oversight is lacking and “the community centers may not always be adhering to the rigorous protocols of research medicine that the National Cancer Institute expects them to follow.”

If that’s true, Wilson writes, it will draw the very validity of many research conclusions into question. If you’re curious about the specific nature of the research site’s violations rather than the larger systemic implications, check out the second page of Wilson’s story.