system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
I think I may have found a paper with possibly faked data...how do I proceed?

Not only do calculations throughout the paper not add up, but the fundamental mechanism they claim is impossible based on my simulations and a year of trying to replicate their results. Should I just contact the journal directly? Should I email the group first to let them know about the issues I have and see if they have any reason why?

Thanks for any suggestions...
gpt
If the calculations don't add up, write the journal and just say that. If you can't replicate it and your simulations don't pan out, ask the group for advice (without implying they faked anything) and publish your results yourself after getting their input. People sucking at their jobs is ultimately way more common that people fabricating data.