Search Results for: plagiarism

On second thought: PNAS retracts two papers after results fail replication

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) ran two retractions this week. One of those papers was “Properdin homeostasis requires turnover of the alternative complement pathway,” which first appeared online in October of last year. The researchers were looking at the interaction between complement — a sort of primitive immune system — and … Continue reading On second thought: PNAS retracts two papers after results fail replication

Borstel update: Former director’s plagiarized 2009 paper to be retracted

Yesterday, we reported that Peter Zabel, managing director of Germany’s Research Center Borstel, had stepped down amid allegations that he had duplicated one of his German papers in English. It turns out, however, that the reason for his resignation was plagiarism of a 2008 paper in Nature Reviews Immunology by a group at the University … Continue reading Borstel update: Former director’s plagiarized 2009 paper to be retracted

Four genetics papers retracted for duplication

Petter Portin, of the University of Turku, Finland, has been forced to retract four papers because they were duplicates of work he had already published. Two of those retractions appear in the February 2011 issue of Hereditas. Here’s one retraction notice (link added): The following article from Hereditas: Portin, P. ‘The effect of the mus309 … Continue reading Four genetics papers retracted for duplication

Physics Letters A paper gets retracted twice, but the issues remain “unsettled”

A retraction with a complex and yet unclear narrative appears in the April 25, 2011 issue of Physics Letters A. According to the notice, for “Nuclear spin magnetic resonance force microscopy using slice modulation:” This article has been retracted at the request of the Editors of Physics Letters A because there are unsettled issues on … Continue reading Physics Letters A paper gets retracted twice, but the issues remain “unsettled”

Want to avoid a retraction? Hire a medical writer, say medical writers

A team of Australian medical writers who  analyzed four decades worth of retractions has reached the conclusion — we trust you’re sitting — that people in their profession are more honest than, well, the rest of us. According to the authors,  articles in the medical literature are substantially less likely than other papers to be … Continue reading Want to avoid a retraction? Hire a medical writer, say medical writers

Retractions we haven’t had a chance to cover, part 1: Fishy fishery management, fluoride and kids’ IQ, and more

As many retractions as we cover here at Retraction Watch, there have been far more since we started blogging in August that we haven’t had the chance to report out fully. Some of those have been tips from our loyal readers — which we always appreciate, even if we can’t get to them immediately. So … Continue reading Retractions we haven’t had a chance to cover, part 1: Fishy fishery management, fluoride and kids’ IQ, and more

Ladies and gentlemen, we have an apparent retraction record holder: Joachim Boldt, at 89

It’s official.* Joachim Boldt now holds the record for the most retractions by a single author. As we reported the other day, a group of anesthesia journals was on the verge of revealing a list of 89 articles by Joachim Boldt that would require retraction because the German researcher had failed to receive proper approval … Continue reading Ladies and gentlemen, we have an apparent retraction record holder: Joachim Boldt, at 89

German defense minister Guttenberg resigns after losing his PhD for a plagiarized thesis

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, who was stripped of his PhD last week after being found guilty of plagiarizing his law thesis, has resigned his post as Germany’s defense minister. According to Reuters: “I was always ready to fight but I’ve reached the limit of my powers,” Guttenberg, 39, told journalists in a hastily arranged news briefing … Continue reading German defense minister Guttenberg resigns after losing his PhD for a plagiarized thesis

22 papers by Joachim Boldt retracted, and 67 likely on the way

Self-plagiarism alert: A very similar version of this post is being published online in Anesthesiology News, where one of us (AM) is managing editor. Anesthesia & Analgesia has retracted 22 papers by Joachim Boldt, the discredited German anesthesiologist whose prolific career as a researcher has unraveled with stunning rapidity — and 67 more retractions are … Continue reading 22 papers by Joachim Boldt retracted, and 67 likely on the way

An unusual retraction: German defense minister zu Guttenberg loses doctorate over plagiarized thesis

When we cover plagiarism on Retraction Watch, particularly when it leads to retractions, we’re writing almost exclusively about science. But there’s a story about a retraction outside of the scientific literature that has been unfolding over the past week, and grabbing enough headlines, that we figured we should post something on it. It was Bremen … Continue reading An unusual retraction: German defense minister zu Guttenberg loses doctorate over plagiarized thesis