Author disputes retraction of pine needle paper published “without the knowledge” of all authors

The properties of pine needles in northwestern China differ — both inside and out — depending on where on the slope of a mountain they are situated. The properties of a recent paper on this phenomenon have recently changed from “published” to “retracted.”

It appears that some of the authors didn’t realize it had been submitted to The Scientific World Journal. The paper has not been cited, according to Thomson Scientific’s Web of Knowledge.

Here’s the notice:

The paper titled “Variations in Stable Carbon Isotope Composition and Leaf Traits of Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica along an Altitude Gradient in Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China” has been retracted as it was submitted for publication without the knowledge and approval of all the other coauthors.

First author Huiwen Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences apparently was aware that the paper had been submitted. Zhang told us:

In my opinion, I do not want to withdraw this article because I have spent much time, energy and money on it.  It seemed that all co-authors were unaware this article from their E-mail. If they wanted to remove their name from my article, please remove if possible.

We sent a request for more information to a general email at the Hindawi Publishing Corporation. Editorial assistant Nadia Ali got back to us with this note:

Thank you for your email. This is to inform you that after the paper was published, one of the authors contacted us stating that he did not approve the publication of the article. When we contacted all the other coauthors, they confirmed that they did not approve the publication of the article and that the submitting author submitted the manuscript without their approval.

We contacted a few of the authors, and they confirmed that they had not approved the manuscript. Here’s co-author Fahu Chen at Lanzhou University:

I only knew the published manuscript from another author who was also listed as co-author. We noted the fact to the journal editor and the manuscript was retracted.

And Ma Jianying, also at the Chinese Academy of Sciences:

Yes, without my approval Huiwen Zhang submitted that paper for publication. I am agree with the retraction of this paper.

Our email to co-author Wei Sun bounced back — he hasn’t worked at the University of Wyoming — the affiliation listed on the paper — since 2011, according to the webpage for his former lab.

Hat tip: Rolf Degen

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