Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A 2018 cell-biology paper retracted in 2022 after image-duplication findings, with a public retraction notice naming the responsible author and stating that co-authors were not implicated.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
A correction (corrigendum) that updates a typo or a small numerical error without affecting the conclusions.
Editorial commentary
Retraction is intended as a correction of the scientific record, not as a punishment. Best practice (COPE Retraction Guidelines, 2019) requires that the retracted article remain accessible but is clearly marked, that the notice state the reason, and that authors and institutions be properly attributed responsibility (or exonerated when error rather than misconduct). The Retraction Watch Database (run by The Center for Scientific Integrity) is the primary public index of retractions. Retraction is distinct from withdrawal of an unpublished manuscript and from a journal's editorial removal of a paper for legal reasons.
References
- COPE Retraction Guidelines (2019)
- Retraction Watch Database (ongoing)
Also known as
article retraction · withdrawal of publication
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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vocab-term="Retraction"
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