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Stefan SM, Rafehi M. The big data challenge - and how polypharmacology supports the translation from pre-clinical research into clinical use against neurodegenerative diseases and beyond. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1647-1648. [PMID: 38103223 PMCID: PMC10960269 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Marcel Stefan
- Drug Development and Chemical Biology, Lübeck Institute of Experimental Dermatology (LIED), University of Lübeck and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany; Department of Pathology, Section of Neuropathology, Translational Neurodegeneration Research and Neuropathology Lab, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Muhammad Rafehi
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Department of Medical Education, Augsburg University Medicine, Augsburg, Germany
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2
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Kohl CBS, Faggion CM. A comprehensive overview of studies that assessed article retractions within the biomedical sciences. Account Res 2024; 31:557-575. [PMID: 36469621 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2022.2154660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of previous research that has investigated retractions within the biomedical fields and assess their methodological quality. We searched three major electronic databases for articles on retractions within the biomedical field: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. In total, 162 articles were included in the analysis. We evaluated their methodological quality using the items of "a measurement tool to assess systematic reviews" (AMSTAR-2) checklist and the Cochrane guidance. The studies had been published in more than 20 biomedical disciplines or fields of investigation, and two-thirds were published after 2017. Concerning methodology, none of the studies fulfilled all the suggested items; five studies did not meet any of the suggested AMSTAR-2 categories or Cochrane guidelines. The most prevalent reported reasons for retraction were fraud and plagiarism (21.0%). In summary, there has been increasing interest in assessing the characteristics and impact of retractions in the biomedical sciences. The studies cited types of misconduct more often than honest errors as a major reason for retraction. The methodological quality of the existing studies in this area appears to be suboptimal. Future investigators should improve upon this, particularly in the quality of the data selection and extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Brigitte Susan Kohl
- Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Clovis Mariano Faggion
- Department of Periodontology and Operative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
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3
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Choudhry HS, Anur SM, Choudhry HS, Kokush EM, Patel AM, Fang CH. Retracted Publications in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery: What Mistakes Are Being Made? OTO Open 2024; 8:e157. [PMID: 38873570 PMCID: PMC11170335 DOI: 10.1002/oto2.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Retraction of publications is critical to maintaining scientific integrity, yet there is a lack of research on its occurrence in Otolaryngology. This study investigates characteristics, trends, and reasons for retraction of publications in otolaryngology journals. Study Design Bibliometric analysis. Setting PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science. Methods A PubMed search for publications retracted during 1990 to 2022 from the top 60 journals with the subject "Otorhinolaryngology" using Scopus' CiteScore was performed. Publications were excluded if they were not in English, had missing information or did not have available abstracts or full-text. Publication and retraction dates, journal, country of origin, citation counts, journal impact factor (JIF), topic, and reason for retraction were recorded. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to identify potential associations in the data. Results Fifty-three publications were included. The 2020s had the highest number of retractions per year (4.33), with publications being retracted on average, 35 months after initial publication. The most common retracted topic and country of origin were head and neck (26.4%) and China (17.0%), respectively. Most publications were retracted because of plagiarism or duplicate publication (52.8%). Mean citation count was 6.92 ± 8.32 and mean JIF was 2.80 ± 1.35. Citation count was positively associated with months until retraction (r = .432, P = .001). There was no significant correlation between months to retraction and JIF (r = .022, P = .878). Conclusion The most cited reasons for retraction were plagiarism and duplicate publication. An understanding of the reasons for retraction can better position journals to enforce more meticulous review standards and reduce such publications from being published. Level of Evidence Level 4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannaan S. Choudhry
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryRutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Sugosh M. Anur
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Hassan S. Choudhry
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryRutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Emily M. Kokush
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryRutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Aman M. Patel
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryRutgers New Jersey Medical SchoolNewarkNew JerseyUSA
| | - Christina H. Fang
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryAlbert Einstein School of Medicine/Montefiore Medical CenterBronxNew YorkUSA
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Xu SB, Evans N, Hu G, Bouter L. What do Retraction Notices Reveal About Institutional Investigations into Allegations Underlying Retractions? SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ETHICS 2023; 29:25. [PMID: 37402081 PMCID: PMC10319669 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-023-00442-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Academic journal publications may be retracted following institutional investigations that confirm allegations of research misconduct. Retraction notices can provide insight into the role institutional investigations play in the decision to retract a publication. Through a content analysis of 7,318 retraction notices published between 1927 and 2019 and indexed by the Web of Science, we found that most retraction notices (73.7%) provided no information about institutional investigations that may have led to retractions. A minority of the retraction notices (26.3%) mentioned an institutional investigation either by journal authorities (12.1%), research performing organizations (10.3%), joint institutions (1.9%), research integrity and ethics governing bodies (1.0%), third-party institutions (0.5%), unspecified institutions (0.4%), or research funding organizations (0.1%). Comparing retraction notices issued before and after the introduction of retraction guidelines by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) in 2009 revealed that those published after the guidelines' publication were more likely to report investigations by journal authorities. Comparing retraction notices from different disciplines revealed that those from social sciences and the humanities were more likely to disclose investigations by research performing organizations than those from biomedical and natural sciences. Based on these findings, we suggest that the COPE retraction guidelines in the future make it mandatory to disclose in retraction notices institutional investigations leading to retractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoxiong Brian Xu
- School of Foreign Studies, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China.
- Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Natalie Evans
- Department of Ethics, Law, and Humanities, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Guangwei Hu
- Department of English and Communication, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lex Bouter
- Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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5
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Phogat R, Manjunath BC, Sabbarwal B, Bhatnagar A, Reena, Anand D. Misconduct in Biomedical Research: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent 2023; 13:185-193. [PMID: 37566729 PMCID: PMC10411296 DOI: 10.4103/jispcd.jispcd_220_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims and Objectives This study aimed to assess the nature and prevalence of misconduct in self and nonself-reported biomedical research. Materials and Methods A detailed review of previously conducted studies was conducted through PubMed Central, PubMed, and Google Scholar using MeSH terms: "scientific misconduct," "Publications," "plagiarism," and "authorship," and keywords: scientific misconduct, gift authorship, ghost authorship, and duplicate publication. MeSH terms and keywords were searched in combinations using Boolean operators "AND" and "OR." Of 7771 articles that appeared in the search, 107 were selected for inspection. The articles were screened for their quality and inclusion criteria. Finally, 16 articles were selected for meta-analysis. Data analysis was conducted using an Open-Source, Open Meta Analyst, statistical software using the package "metaphor." Results Plagiarism, data fabrication, and falsification were prevalent in most articles reviewed. The prevalence of research misconduct for plagiarism was 4.2% for self-reported and 27.9% for nonself-reported studies. Data fabrication was 4.5% in self-reported and 21.7% in nonself-reported studies. Data falsification was 9.7% in self-reported and 33.4% in nonself-reported studies, with significant heterogeneity. Conclusion This meta-analysis gives a pooled estimate of the misconduct in research done in biomedical fields such as medicine, dental, pharmacy, and others across the world. We found that there is an alarming rate of misconduct in recent nonself-reported studies, and they were higher than that in the self-reported studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu Phogat
- Department of Public Health Dentistry Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, India
| | | | - Bhavna Sabbarwal
- Department of Public Health Dentistry Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, India
| | - Anurag Bhatnagar
- Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dental Sciences, SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana, India
| | - Reena
- Department of Pharmacy, SDPGIPS, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Deepti Anand
- Department of Periodontology, Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India
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Noh JH, Arai H, Auyeung TW, Cesari M, Frontera WR, Ga H, Jung HW, Lim WS, Lim JY. Bounce Forward Better: Geriatric and Gerontological Research in the Post-pandemic Future. Ann Geriatr Med Res 2022; 26:285-288. [PMID: 36567136 PMCID: PMC9830067 DOI: 10.4235/agmr.22.0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, we have faced challenges in managing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially in older adults. The pandemic has precipitated a global health crisis that impeded older adults from maintaining their health. Disruption of the routine management of chronic diseases, physical inactivity deteriorating physical function and quality of life, malnutrition, and mental disorders have been suggested as major threats to the health of older adults. To address these problems and facilitate reactivation of normal care activities, this article summarizes the contents of a webinar held by the Annals of Geriatric Medicine and Research (AGMR) regarding the future directions of geriatric medicine and research in the post-COVID-19 era.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hidenori Arai
- National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan
| | - Tung Wai Auyeung
- Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Matteo Cesari
- Geriatric Unit, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Maugeri, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Walter R. Frontera
- Department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation, and Sports Medicine and Department of Physiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Hyuk Ga
- Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Incheon Eun-Hye Hospital, Incheon, Korea
| | - Hee-Won Jung
- Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Wee Shiong Lim
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
| | - Jae-Young Lim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea
- Institute on Aging, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
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7
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Santos-d’Amorim K, Wang T, Lund B, Macedo Dos Santos RN. From plagiarism to scientific paper mills: a profile of retracted articles within the SciELO Brazil collection. ETHICS & BEHAVIOR 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10508422.2022.2141747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Santos-d’Amorim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE)
| | - Ting Wang
- School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University
| | - Brady Lund
- College of Information, Department of Information Science, University of North Texas
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8
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Construction and management of retraction stigma in retraction notices: an authorship-based investigation. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03738-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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9
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Frasco PE, Smith BB, Murray AW, Khurmi N, Mueller JT, Poterack KA. Context Analysis of Continued Citation of Retracted Manuscripts Published in Anesthesiology Journals. Anesth Analg 2022; 135:1011-1020. [PMID: 36269987 DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The continued citation of retracted publications from the medical literature is a well-known and persistent problem. We describe the contexts of ongoing citations to manuscripts that have been retracted from a selection of anesthesiology journals. We also examine how bibliographic databases and publisher websites document the retracted status of these manuscripts. The authors performed an analysis of retracted publications from anesthesiology journals using the Retraction Watch database. We then examined how the retraction information was displayed on bibliographic databases, search engines, and publisher websites. The primary outcome was the context of continued citation after retraction of flawed publications within the specialty of anesthesiology. Secondary outcomes included comparison of the documentation, bibliographic databases, search engines, and publisher websites used in identifying the retracted status of these publications and provision of access to the respective retraction notices. A total of 245 original publications were retracted over a 28-year period from 9 anesthesiology journals. PubMed, compared to the other databases and search engines, was the most consistent (98.8%) in documenting the retracted status of the publications examined, as well as providing a direct link to the retraction notice. From the 211 publications retracted before January 2020, there were 1307 postretraction citations accessed from Scopus. The median number of postretraction citations was 3.5 (range, 0-88, with at least 1 citation in 164 publications) in Scopus. Of the postretraction citations, 80% affirmed the validity of the retracted publications, while only 5.2% of citations acknowledged the retraction or misconduct. In 10.2% of the citations from original research studies, retracted manuscripts appeared to influence the decision to pursue or the methods used in subsequent original research studies. The frequency of citation of the 15 most cited retracted publications declined in a similar pattern during the 10 years after retraction. Citation of manuscripts retracted from anesthesiology journals remains a common occurrence. Technological innovations and application of standards for handling retracted publications, as suggested by coalitions of researchers across the spectrum of scientific investigation, may serve to reduce the persistence of this error.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E Frasco
- From the Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona
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10
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Alfaro-Núñez A. Deceiving scientific research, misconduct events are possibly a more common practice than foreseen. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2022; 34:76. [PMID: 36034683 PMCID: PMC9397156 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-022-00659-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Today, scientists and academic researchers experience an enormous pressure to publish innovative and ground-breaking results in prestigious journals. This pressure may blight the general view concept of how scientific research needs to be done in terms of the general rules of transparency; duplication of data, and co-authorship rights might be compromised. As such, misconduct acts may occur more frequently than foreseen, as frequently these experiences are not openly shared or discussed among researchers. MAIN BODY While there are some concerns about the health and the transparency implications of such normalised pressure practices imposed on researchers in scientific research, there is a general acceptance that researchers must take and accept it in order to survive in the competitive world of science. This is even more the case for junior and mid-senior researchers who have recently started their adventure into the universe of independent researchers. Only the slightest fraction manages to endure, after many years of furious and cruel rivalry, to obtain a long-term, and even less probable, permanent position. There is an evil circle; excellent records of good publications are needed in order to obtain research funding, but how to produce pioneering research during these first years without funding? Many may argue this is a necessary process to ensure good quality scientific investigation, possibly, but perseverance and resilience may not be the only values needed when rejection is received consecutively for years. CONCLUSION There is a general culture that scientists rarely share previous bad experiences, in particular if they were associated to misconduct, as they may not be seen or considered as a relevant or hot topic to the scientific community readers. On next, a recent misconduct experience is shared, and a few additional reflections and suggestions on this topic were drafted in the hope other researchers might be spared unnecessary and unpleasant times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonzo Alfaro-Núñez
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Naestved Hospital, Ringstedgade 57a, 4700 Naestved, Denmark
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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11
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Citation of retracted research: a case-controlled, ten-year follow-up scientometric analysis of Scott S. Reuben’s malpractice. Scientometrics 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04321-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractA major problem in scientific literature is the citation of retracted research. Until now, no long-term follow-up of the course of citations of such articles has been published. In the present study, we determined the development of citations of retracted articles based on the case of anaesthesiologist and pain researcher Scott S. Reuben, over a period of 10 years and compared them to matched controls. We screened four databases to find retracted publications by Scott S. Ruben and reviewed full publications for indications of retraction status. To obtain a case-controlled analysis, all Reuben’s retracted articles were compared with the respective citations of the preceeding and subsequent neighbouring articles within the same journal. There were 420 citations between 2009 and 2019, of which only 40% indicated the publication being retracted. Over a 10-year period, an increasing linear trend is observed in citations of retracted articles by Scott S. Ruben that are not reported as retracted (R2 = 0.3647). Reuben’s retracted articles were cited 92% more often than the neighbouring non-retracted articles. This study highlights a major scientific problem. Invented or falsified data are still being cited after more than a decade, leading to a distortion of the evidence and scientometric parameters.
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Christopher MM. Comprehensive analysis of retracted journal articles in the field of veterinary medicine and animal health. BMC Vet Res 2022; 18:73. [PMID: 35180878 PMCID: PMC8855588 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-022-03167-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Retractions are a key proxy for recognizing errors in research and publication and for reconciling misconduct in the scientific literature. The underlying factors associated with retractions can provide insight and guide policy for journal editors and authors within a discipline. The goal of this study was to systematically review and analyze retracted articles in veterinary medicine and animal health. A database search for retractions of articles with a veterinary/animal health topic, in a veterinary journal, or by veterinary institution-affiliated authors was conducted from first available records through February 2019 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Retraction Watch, and Google Scholar. Annual frequency of retractions, journal and article characteristics, author affiliation and country, reasons for retraction, and retraction outcomes were recorded. Results Two-hundred-forty-two articles retracted between 1993 and 2019 were included in the study. Over this period, the estimated rate of retraction increased from 0.03/1000 to 1.07/1000 veterinary articles. Median time from publication to retraction was 478 days (range 0-3653 days). Retracted articles were published in 30 (12.3%) veterinary journals and 132 (81.5%) nonveterinary journals. Veterinary journals had disproportionately more retractions than nonveterinary journals (P = .0155). Authors/groups with ≥2 retractions accounted for 37.2% of retractions. Authors from Iran and China published 19.4 and 18.2% of retracted articles respectively. Authors were affiliated with a faculty of veterinary medicine in 59.1% of retracted articles. Of 242 retractions, 204 (84.3%) were research articles, of which 6.4% were veterinary clinical research. Publication misconduct (plagiarism, duplicate publication, compromised peer review) accounted for 75.6% of retractions, compared with errors (20.6%) and research misconduct (18.2%). Journals published by societies/institutions were less likely than those from commercial publishers to indicate a reason for retraction. Thirty-one percent of HTML articles and 14% of PDFs were available online but not marked as retracted. Conclusions The rate of retraction in the field of veterinary and animal health has increased by ~ 10-fold per 1000 articles since 1993, resulting primarily from increased publication misconduct, often by repeat offenders. Veterinary journals and society/institutional journals could benefit from improvement in the quality of retraction notices. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12917-022-03167-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary M Christopher
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, 4206 VetMed 3A, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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13
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Xu S(B, Hu G. Non‐author entities accountable for retractions: A diachronic and cross‐disciplinary exploration of reasons for retraction. LEARNED PUBLISHING 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/leap.1445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Shaoxiong (Brian) Xu
- School of Foreign Studies Huanggang Normal University Huanggang Hubei China
- Department of English and Communication The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hunghom Hong Kong
| | - Guangwei Hu
- Department of English and Communication The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hunghom Hong Kong
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14
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Vasconcelos SM, Masuda H, Sorenson M, Prosdocimi F, Palácios M, Watanabe E, Carlos Pinto J, Lapa E Silva JR, Vieyra A, Pinto A, Mena-Chalco J, Sant'Ana M, Roig M. Perceptions of plagiarism among PhDs across the sciences, engineering, humanities, and arts: Results from a national survey in Brazil. Account Res 2021:1-32. [PMID: 34937464 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2021.2018306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Plagiarism allegations are not rare in the history of science, and credit for prior work was and continues to be a source of disputes, involving notions of priority of discovery and of plagiarism. However, consensus over what constitutes plagiarism among scientists from different fields cannot be taken for granted. We conducted a national survey exploring perceptions of plagiarism among PhD holders registered in the database of the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). This survey was sent to 143,405 PhD holders across the fields, including biologists, physicists, mathematicians, and engineers as well as linguists, philosophers, and anthropologists, with a 20% response rate. The results suggest that core principles about plagiarism are shared among this multidisciplinary community, thus corroborating Robert K. Merton's observations that concerns over plagiarism and priority disputes are not field specific. This study offers insight into the way plagiarism is perceived in the research community and sheds light on the problem in the context of international collaborative research networks. The data focus on a particular research system in Latin America, but, given the cultural similarities that bind most Latin-American nations, these results may be relevant to other PhD populations in the region and should provide an opportunity for comparison with studies from other emerging, non-Anglophone regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Mr Vasconcelos
- Science Education Program, Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM)/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
| | - Hatisaburo Masuda
- Science Education Program, Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM)/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
| | - Martha Sorenson
- Science Education Program, Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM)/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
| | - Francisco Prosdocimi
- Science Education Program, Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM)/Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
| | | | - Edson Watanabe
- Institute Alberto Luiz Coimbra for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE)/UFRJ
| | - José Carlos Pinto
- Institute Alberto Luiz Coimbra for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE)/UFRJ
| | | | | | - André Pinto
- Formerly Brazilian Center for Physics Research (CBPF) (in memoriam)
| | - Jesús Mena-Chalco
- Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition (CMCC)/Federal University of ABC (UFABC)
| | | | - Miguel Roig
- Department of Psychology, St. John' s University, United States
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15
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Green LS, Johnston MP. A contextualization of editorial misconduct in the library and information science academic information ecosystem. J Assoc Inf Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/asi.24593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Santos Green
- Professor of Information Science, College of Information and Communications The University of South Carolina Columbia South Carolina USA
- School of Information Science Davis College Columbia South Carolina USA
| | - Melissa P. Johnston
- Department of Educational Technology and Foundations College of Education Carrollton Georgia USA
- University of West Georgia Carrollton Georgia USA
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16
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Rivera H, Teixeira da Silva JA. Retractions, Fake Peer Reviews, and Paper Mills. J Korean Med Sci 2021; 36:e165. [PMID: 34155837 PMCID: PMC8216989 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Horacio Rivera
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Genómica, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
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Shah TA, Gul S, Bashir S, Ahmad S, Huertas A, Oliveira A, Gulzar F, Najar AH, Chakraborty K. Influence of accessibility (open and toll-based) of scholarly publications on retractions. Scientometrics 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-03990-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Hesselmann F, Reinhart M. Cycles of invisibility: The limits of transparency in dealing with scientific misconduct. SOCIAL STUDIES OF SCIENCE 2021; 51:414-438. [PMID: 33234058 DOI: 10.1177/0306312720975201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sanctions for plagiarism, falsification and fabrication in research are primarily symbolic. This paper investigates sanctions for scientific misconduct and their preceding investigation processes as visible and legitimate symbols. Using three different data sources (retraction notices, expert interviews, and a survey of scientists), we show that sanctions for scientific misconduct operate within a cycle of visibility, in which sanctions are highly visible, while investigation and decision-making procedures remain mostly invisible. This corresponds to high levels of acceptance of sanctions in the scientific community, but a low acceptance of the respective authorities. Such a punitiveness in turn exacerbates confidentiality concerns, so that authorities become even more secretive. We argue that punitiveness towards scientific misconduct is driven by such a cycle of invisibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas Hesselmann
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung, Germany
| | - Martin Reinhart
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung, Germany
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Armond ACV, Gordijn B, Lewis J, Hosseini M, Bodnár JK, Holm S, Kakuk P. A scoping review of the literature featuring research ethics and research integrity cases. BMC Med Ethics 2021; 22:50. [PMID: 33931043 PMCID: PMC8086087 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-021-00620-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The areas of Research Ethics (RE) and Research Integrity (RI) are rapidly evolving. Cases of research misconduct, other transgressions related to RE and RI, and forms of ethically questionable behaviors have been frequently published. The objective of this scoping review was to collect RE and RI cases, analyze their main characteristics, and discuss how these cases are represented in the scientific literature. METHODS The search included cases involving a violation of, or misbehavior, poor judgment, or detrimental research practice in relation to a normative framework. A search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, JSTOR, Ovid, and Science Direct in March 2018, without language or date restriction. Data relating to the articles and the cases were extracted from case descriptions. RESULTS A total of 14,719 records were identified, and 388 items were included in the qualitative synthesis. The papers contained 500 case descriptions. After applying the eligibility criteria, 238 cases were included in the analysis. In the case analysis, fabrication and falsification were the most frequently tagged violations (44.9%). The non-adherence to pertinent laws and regulations, such as lack of informed consent and REC approval, was the second most frequently tagged violation (15.7%), followed by patient safety issues (11.1%) and plagiarism (6.9%). 80.8% of cases were from the Medical and Health Sciences, 11.5% from the Natural Sciences, 4.3% from Social Sciences, 2.1% from Engineering and Technology, and 1.3% from Humanities. Paper retraction was the most prevalent sanction (45.4%), followed by exclusion from funding applications (35.5%). CONCLUSIONS Case descriptions found in academic journals are dominated by discussions regarding prominent cases and are mainly published in the news section of journals. Our results show that there is an overrepresentation of biomedical research cases over other scientific fields compared to its proportion in scientific publications. The cases mostly involve fabrication, falsification, and patient safety issues. This finding could have a significant impact on the academic representation of misbehaviors. The predominance of fabrication and falsification cases might diverge the attention of the academic community from relevant but less visible violations, and from recently emerging forms of misbehaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Catharina Vieira Armond
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Móricz Zsigmond krt. 22. III. Apartman Diákszálló, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
| | - Bert Gordijn
- Institute of Ethics, School of Theology, Philosophy and Music, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jonathan Lewis
- Institute of Ethics, School of Theology, Philosophy and Music, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mohammad Hosseini
- Institute of Ethics, School of Theology, Philosophy and Music, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - János Kristóf Bodnár
- Department of Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Móricz Zsigmond krt. 22. III. Apartman Diákszálló, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Soren Holm
- Centre for Social Ethics and Policy, School of Law, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Center for Medical Ethics, HELSAM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Péter Kakuk
- Center for Ethics and Law in Biomedicine, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
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Marco-Cuenca G, Salvador-Oliván JA, Arquero-Avilés R. Fraud in scientific publications in the European Union. An analysis through their retractions. Scientometrics 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-021-03977-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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21
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SANTOS-D’AMORIM K, CORREIA AEGC, MIRANDA MKFDO, SANTA-CRUZ P. Reasons and implications of retracted articles in Brazil. TRANSINFORMACAO 2021. [DOI: 10.1590/2318-0889202133e210001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Over the years, cases of retractions due to unintentional errors or research misconduct have been the subject of discussion, being indispensable to avoid the propagation of misleading information. To understand this matter in the Brazilian scenario, this study characterizes the retractions of authorship or co-authorship of Brazilian researchers between 2002 and 2019, their related consequences and impacts on scientific activity. With a data collection performed at the Retraction Watch database, we analyzed quantitative aspects of the reasons for retractions, stratification by areas of knowledge, the time between publication and retraction, the association of journals and impact factor, authors’ recidivism, the institutional collaboration between Brazilian institutions and countries and funding sources. The results of the analysis of 162 retractions indicate the prevalence of plagiarism (12.2%), the incidence of retracted articles in the Bioscience area (28.1%), in journals with Impact Factors between 2 and 5 (38.0%), and with 2 to 4 authors (38.8%). The occurrences and recurrences of retractions due to misconduct have an impact not only the author’s professional activity but science. Thus, this article emphasizes the importance of prompt retraction, as well as of the need to improve mechanisms to prevent these articles from being published from the start.
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Samuel S, Cherian JM, Thomas AM. Comprehensive Analysis of Retracted Publications in Dentistry: A 23-Year Review. Int J Dent 2020; 2020:8881352. [PMID: 33424973 PMCID: PMC7781686 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8881352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the modern tech-savvy era, scientific literature publication remains the optimal way to disperse knowledge, even if it has transformed from print to mostly electronic. With the new and improved publication methods, also come more scrutiny and analytic criticism of the scientific work. It becomes even more important in this context to rectify flawed scientific work responsibly. This present study was undertaken to help clarify the process and causes of retractions occurring in the dental community and analyse its reasons. Methodology. A total of 8092 PubMed indexed articles were scanned from the online libraries, and individually scanning for author details, place of study, subspecialty of research, funding, dates of original publication, and retraction notices issued along with journal specifics such as type and impact factors, country of publishing was compiled and analysed by two authors. The dataset was then collaboratively analysed using Panda's Library in Python software as an analysis tool for data preparation and for frequency analysis. The estimates were presented as mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS The present study had a compiled dataset of 198 articles after screening and revealed that maximum retractions of dentistry-related research originated from India (25.3%) and, on average, took 2.6 years to be issued a retraction notice. We also deciphered that the USA retracted maximum dental articles (34.8%), and plagiarism was cited as the most common (38.02%) reason for doing so. The present study also brought to light that there was a trend for lower impact factor-dental journals in retracting maximum articles, most of which were nonfunded (62.16%). The results signify that 63.78% of all retracted papers continued to be cited postretractions. CONCLUSIONS The retractions happening in the field of dental literature are currently too time-consuming and often unclear to the readers. The authors would like to conclude that the retracted papers were mostly from India and Spain mostly related to endodontics or prosthodontic research. All of this warrants the need for better scrutiny and reforms in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Samuel
- Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Christian Dental College, Ludhiana 141008, Punjab, India
| | - Joe Mathew Cherian
- Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Christian Dental College, Ludhiana 141008, Punjab, India
| | - Abi M. Thomas
- Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Christian Dental College, Ludhiana 141008, Punjab, India
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Barnett BS, Doblin R. Dissemination of Erroneous Research Findings and Subsequent Retraction in High-Circulation Newspapers: A Case Study of Alleged MDMA-Induced Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates. J Psychoactive Drugs 2020; 53:104-110. [PMID: 33241981 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2020.1847365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Ensuring the public is informed of retractions has proven difficult for the scientific community. While it is possible that newspapers focus differential attention on publication of scientific articles and their subsequent retractions, this topic has received minimal attention from researchers. To learn more, we analyzed newspaper coverage of the high-profile 2002 article Severe dopaminergic neurotoxicity in primates after a common recreational dose regimen of MDMA ("ecstasy") and its retraction in a case study. We searched the 50 largest American newspapers with available online archives for stories about the article's publication and retraction. Of the 50 newspapers, 26 (52%) covered the article's publication and 20 (40%) its retraction. Six of the 50 newspapers (12%) published stories on the article's retraction without covering its initial publication. Of the 26 newspapers covering the article's publication, only 14 (54%) covered its retraction. Stories about the retraction were balanced, but shorter than those on the article's publication and often lacking in context and detail. While the decrease in coverage of the article's retraction was moderate among the entire sample, the much lower retraction coverage in newspapers that had already covered the article's publication is concerning and emphasizes the need for increased media coverage of retractions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Barnett
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Center for Behavioral Health, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Richard Doblin
- Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Heyman T, Maerten AS. Correction notices in psychology: impactful or inconsequential? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200834. [PMID: 33204456 PMCID: PMC7657932 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Science is self-correcting, or so the adage goes, but to what extent is that indeed the case? Answering this question requires careful consideration of the various approaches to achieve the collective goal of self-correction. One of the most straightforward mechanisms is individual self-correction: researchers rectifying their own mistakes by publishing a correction notice. Although it offers an efficient route to correcting the scientific record, it has received little to no attention from a metascientific point of view. We aim to fill this void by analysing the content of correction notices published from 2010 until 2018 in the three psychology journals featuring the highest number of corrections over that timespan based on the Scopus database (i.e. Psychological Science with N = 58, Frontiers in Psychology with N = 99 and Journal of Affective Disorders with N = 57). More concretely, we examined which aspects of the original papers were affected (e.g. hypotheses, data-analyses, metadata such as author order, affiliations, funding information etc.) as well as the perceived implications for the papers' main findings. Our exploratory analyses showed that many corrections involved inconsequential errors. Furthermore, authors rarely revised their conclusions, even though several corrections concerned changes to the results. We conclude with a discussion of current policies, and suggest ways to improve upon the present situation by (i) preventing mistakes, and (ii) transparently rectifying those mistakes that do find their way into the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Heyman
- KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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25
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Zuckerman H. Is “the time ripe” for quantitative research on misconduct in science? QUANTITATIVE SCIENCE STUDIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1162/qss_a_00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Misconduct in science is a timely and substantively important problem in the social study of science. But in the absence of comprehensive and reliable data needed for analysis, formidable obstacles stand in the way of its being studied quantitively. Accessible databases, including government data, are flawed, while undertaking new data collection presents its own problems. First, little is known about biases in official government reports. Second, official reports exclude classes of malfeasance other than fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism of evidence (FFP). Third, while drawing on official data is expedient, available official information is thin; it tells little about miscreants and fails to identify potential causes of their actions and the environments in which misconduct occurred. Fourth, it also fails the test of permitting estimates to be made of populations at risk, making it impossible to calculate incidence. A healthy dose of skepticism is in order in evaluating both the findings of current quantitative studies and of proposals for remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Zuckerman
- Columbia University, 450 Riverside Drive, New York. New York 10027, U.S.A
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26
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Sadeghi-Bazargani H, Nikniaz L, Yousefi Nodeh HR. Street research market: dealing with scientific misconduct in Iran. BMC Med Ethics 2020; 21:78. [PMID: 32831079 PMCID: PMC7446204 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-020-00518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Scientific misconduct is a prevalent phenomenon with many undesirable consequences. In Iran, no original research have been done about scientific fraud. So, this study aimed at describing a challenging research misconduct in Iran, its related causes, and the ways Iranian authorities deal with it. Methods In this cross-sectional study, through a two-year period, all the advertisements installed in the study sites were collected and the content analysis was performed. Semi-structured interviews were held with experts for discovering the causes of misconduct. Also, published issues were collected for review of the laws on confronting the fraud in Iran. Results The content analysis resulted in identifying four categories of misconduct issues: advertising approach, types of services, outcome guarantee, and justifying the academic credit. Besides, reviewing the related literature indicated that Iranian government and the responsible authorities have recently established serious penalties for dealing with scientific misconduct through legislation. Conclusions This study revealed some misconduct in scientific activities which has persuaded the authorities to enforce strict rules to deal with it. The effectiveness of this legislation needs to be investigated in some further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani
- Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Leila Nikniaz
- Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Daneshgah Street, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Hamid Reza Yousefi Nodeh
- Student research committee, Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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27
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Collaboration and its influence on retraction based on retracted publications during 1978–2017. Scientometrics 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03636-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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28
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Bordignon F. Self-correction of science: a comparative study of negative citations and post-publication peer review. Scientometrics 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03536-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Shankar DS, Chung PJ, Hannah T, Dreher N, Li AY, Dai JB, Post AF, Choudhri TF. The effect of academic rank and years in practice on bibliometric profile growth rates among academic neurosurgeons in the New York metropolitan area. INTERDISCIPLINARY NEUROSURGERY-ADVANCED TECHNIQUES AND CASE MANAGEMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.inat.2019.100615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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30
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Svare BB. A Cautionary Tale for Psychology and Higher Education in Asia: Following Western Practices of Incentivising Scholarship May Have Negative Outcomes. PSYCHOLOGY AND DEVELOPING SOCIETIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0971333619900043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cases of scientific fraud and research misconduct in general have escalated in Western higher education over the last 20 years. These practices include forgery, distortion of facts and plagiarism, the outright faking of research results and thriving black markets for positive peer reviews and ghost-written papers. More recently, the same abuses have found their way into Asian higher education with some high profile and widely covered cases in India, South Korea, China and Japan. Reports of misconduct are now reaching alarming proportions in Asia, and the negative consequences for individuals, institutions, governments and society at large are incalculable. The incentives for academic scientists in Asia are approaching and even surpassing those ordinarily seen in the West. Cash payments for publishing articles in high impact journals can double or even triple yearly salaries in some cases. Combining this environment with the simultaneous pressure to obtain oftentimes scarce funding for research has produced a culture of unethical behaviour worldwide. This article assesses three important issues regarding scientific fraud and research misconduct: distorted incentives for research and overreliance upon metrics, damage to the integrity of higher education and public trust and improving research environments so as to deter unethical behaviour. This is especially crucial for emerging Asian countries, in particular Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose scientific infrastructure is less developed, but nonetheless has the potential to become a major player in the development of psychology as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) research and training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce B. Svare
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Albany, USA
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31
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Satel S. How much do we need to know about supervised consumption sites? It depends who's asking. Addiction 2019; 114:2116-2117. [PMID: 31512282 DOI: 10.1111/add.14787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sally Satel
- American Enterprise Institute, Washington, USA.,Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Shalosh B. Ekhad: a computer credit for mathematicians. Scientometrics 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-019-03305-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Mistry V, Grey A, Bolland MJ. Publication rates after the first retraction for biomedical researchers with multiple retracted publications. Account Res 2019; 26:277-287. [PMID: 31025884 DOI: 10.1080/08989621.2019.1612244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Retraction of scientific publications can unmask scientific misconduct. We undertook a survey of publication rates, for authors with multiple retractions in the biomedical literature, to determine whether they changed after authors' first retractions. We collected publication and citation data from Scopus for 100 authors with multiple retractions (either >10 retractions or 2-5 retractions) in the Retraction Watch database. Publication rates increased until the year of the first retraction and decreased rapidly thereafter. By 4 years after the first retraction, the proportion of authors actively publishing at least one paper/year was <50%, annual publication rates were <50% of the pre-retraction rate, and only 22% of authors had a publication rate >50% of their pre-retraction rate. There was no difference in the decline in publication rates between authors associated with a retraction for misconduct and those not associated with such a retraction. After the first retraction, citation rates of retracted papers declined whereas those of unretracted papers by the same authors remained unchanged. In summary, publication rates of authors with multiple retractions, most of whom were associated with scientific misconduct, declined rapidly after their first retraction but a small minority continued to publish regularly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vyoma Mistry
- a Department of Medicine , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Andrew Grey
- a Department of Medicine , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
| | - Mark J Bolland
- a Department of Medicine , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand
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Stavale R, Ferreira GI, Galvão JAM, Zicker F, Novaes MRCG, de Oliveira CM, Guilhem D. Research misconduct in health and life sciences research: A systematic review of retracted literature from Brazilian institutions. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214272. [PMID: 30986211 PMCID: PMC6464327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measures to ensure research integrity have been widely discussed due to the social, economic and scientific impact of research integrity. In the past few years, financial support for health research in emerging countries has steadily increased, resulting in a growing number of scientific publications. These achievements, however, have been accompanied by a rise in retracted publications followed by concerns about the quality and reliability of such publications. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to investigate the profile of medical and life sciences research retractions from authors affiliated with Brazilian academic institutions. The chronological trend between publication and retraction date, reasons for the retraction, citation of the article after the retraction, study design, and the number of retracted publications by author and affiliation were assessed. Additionally, the quality, availability and accessibility of data regarding retracted papers from the publishers are described. METHODS Two independent reviewers searched for articles that had been retracted since 2004 via PubMed, Web of Science, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) and Google Scholar databases. Indexed keywords from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and Descritores em Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) in Portuguese, English or Spanish were used. Data were also collected from the Retraction Watch website (www.retractionwatch.com). This study was registered with the PROSPERO systematic review database (CRD42017071647). RESULTS A final sample of 65 articles was retrieved from 55 different journals with reported impact factors ranging from 0 to 32.86, with a median value of 4.40 and a mean of 4.69. The types of documents found were erratum (1), retracted articles (3), retracted articles with a retraction notice (5), retraction notices with erratum (3), and retraction notices (45). The assessment of the Retraction Watch website added 8 articles that were not identified by the search strategy using the bibliographic databases. The retracted publications covered a wide range of study designs. Experimental studies (40) and literature reviews (15) accounted for 84.6% of the retracted articles. Within the field of health and life sciences, medical science was the field with the largest number of retractions (34), followed by biological sciences (17). Some articles were retracted for at least two distinct reasons (13). Among the retrieved articles, plagiarism was the main reason for retraction (60%). Missing data were found in 57% of the retraction notices, which was a limitation to this review. In addition, 63% of the articles were cited after their retraction. CONCLUSION Publications are not retracted solely for research misconduct but also for honest error. Nevertheless, considering authors affiliated with Brazilian institutions, this review concluded that most of the retracted health and life sciences publications were retracted due to research misconduct. Because the number of publications is the most valued indicator of scientific productivity for funding and career progression purposes, a systematic effort from the national research councils, funding agencies, universities and scientific journals is needed to avoid an escalating trend of research misconduct. More investigations are needed to comprehend the underlying factors of research misconduct and its increasing manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaelly Stavale
- Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Graziani Izidoro Ferreira
- Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | | | - Fábio Zicker
- Center for Technological Development in Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Maria Rita Carvalho Garbi Novaes
- Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Health Sciences Education and Research Foundation – ESCS/Fepecs, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - César Messias de Oliveira
- Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dirce Guilhem
- Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
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Hamilton DG. Continued Citation of Retracted Radiation Oncology Literature—Do We Have a Problem? Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2019; 103:1036-1042. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Stricker J, Günther A. Scientific Misconduct in Psychology. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR PSYCHOLOGIE-JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. Spectacular cases of scientific misconduct have contributed to concerns about the validity of published results in psychology. In our systematic review, we identified 16 studies reporting prevalence estimates of scientific misconduct and questionable research practices (QRPs) in psychological research. Estimates from these studies varied due to differences in methods and scope. Unlike other disciplines, there was no reliable lower bound prevalence estimate of scientific misconduct based on identified cases available for psychology. Thus, we conducted an additional empirical investigation on the basis of retractions in the database PsycINFO. Our analyses showed that 0.82 per 10,000 journal articles in psychology were retracted due to scientific misconduct. Between the late 1990s and 2012, there was a steep increase. Articles retracted due to scientific misconduct were identified in 20 out of 22 PsycINFO subfields. These results show that measures aiming to reduce scientific misconduct should be promoted equally across all psychological subfields.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Armin Günther
- Leibniz Institute for Psychology Information, Trier, Germany
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39
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An analysis of retractions of dental publications. J Dent 2018; 79:19-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Horbach SPJM, Halffman W. The ability of different peer review procedures to flag problematic publications. Scientometrics 2018; 118:339-373. [PMID: 30930504 PMCID: PMC6404393 DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2969-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is a mounting worry about erroneous and outright fraudulent research that gets published in the scientific literature. Although peer review’s ability to filter out such publications is contentious, several peer review innovations attempt to do just that. However, there is very little systematic evidence documenting the ability of different review procedures to flag problematic publications. In this article, we use survey data on peer review in a wide range of journals to compare the retraction rates of specific review procedures, using the Retraction Watch database. We were able to identify which peer review procedures were used since 2000 for 361 journals, publishing a total of 833,172 articles, of which 670 were retracted. After addressing the dual character of retractions, signalling both a failure to identify problems prior to publication, but also the willingness to correct mistakes, we empirically assess review procedures. With considerable conceptual caveats, we were able to identify peer review procedures that seem able to detect problematic research better than others. Results were verified for disciplinary differences and variation between reasons for retraction. This leads to informed recommendations for journal editors about strengths and weaknesses of specific peer review procedures, allowing them to select review procedures that address issues most relevant to their field.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P J M Horbach
- 1Institute for Science in Society, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, P.O. box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,2Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS), Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 62A, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - W Halffman
- 1Institute for Science in Society, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, P.O. box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Wasiak J, George Hamilton D, Foroudi F, Faggion CM. Surveying Retracted Studies and Notices Within the Field of Radiation Oncology. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2018; 102:660-665. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2018.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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King EG, Oransky I, Sachs TE, Farber A, Flynn DB, Abritis A, Kalish JA, Siracuse JJ. Analysis of retracted articles in the surgical literature. Am J Surg 2018; 216:851-855. [DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2017.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Aspura MKYI, Noorhidawati A, Abrizah A. An analysis of Malaysian retracted papers: Misconduct or mistakes? Scientometrics 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2720-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Ribeiro MD, Vasconcelos SMR. Retractions covered by Retraction Watch in the 2013–2015 period: prevalence for the most productive countries. Scientometrics 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11192-017-2621-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Reinhart M. More data needed on scientific misconduct. Nature 2017; 549:458. [DOI: 10.1038/549458a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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