An electrical engineering paper published in April has been retracted because of similarities to a 2012 paper from different authors, including “almost identical” data in two of the papers’ tables.
The authors were unable to provide the original numbers for the suspect tables, along with a pair of “similar” figures, which bore a striking resemblance to ones presented in the same 2012 paper. Corresponding author Tao Jin at Fuzhou University in China requested the withdrawal “in order to repeat the experiments and obtain new data.”
Energies posted the retraction October 1.
Here’s it is, in full:
The corresponding author has requested the withdrawal of [1]. The authors were not able to produce the original data used to compile Tables 3 and 4, and would like to withdraw the manuscript in order to repeat the experiments and obtain new data. We note that the data in these tables is almost identical to data presented in [2]. Figures 5–7 of [1] are similar to figures shows in [2] and the authors regret that they did not add the proper citation.
The authors wish to apologize to readers of the journal for any inconvenience, in particular to the authors of [2]. The paper will remain available and marked as retracted.
References
Jin, T.; Chu, F.; Ling, C.; Nzongo, D.L.M. A Robust WLS Power System State Estimation Method Integrating a Wide-Area Measurement System and SCADA Technology. Energies 2015, 8, 2769–2787.
Korres, G.N.; Manousakis, N.M. State estimation and bad data processing for systems including PMU and SCADA measurements. Electr. Power. Syst. Res. 2011, 81, 1514–1524.
The authors are based at Fuzhou University in China, and one is listed at the Imperial College London. In the paper they discussed a system that could be used to estimate and determine the capabilities of a power grid.
The other paper cited in the notice was published in Electric Power Systems Research. Authors George Korres and Nikolaos Manousakis were listed at the National Technical University of Athens.
We’ve contacted Korres to ask if he knows anything more about the retraction. We’ve also contacted Jin and the journal’s editor-in-chief Enrico Sciubba. We’ll update with any reply.
Hat tip: Rolf Degen
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