A neuroscientist once called the “prince of panspermia” has lost a lawsuit against Springer Nature stemming from a 2019 paper of his that a journal retracted. Here’s the summary from United States District Judge John P. Cronan, who heard the original case:
Springer Nature has retracted 44 papers from a journal in the Middle East after determining that they were rubbish. The articles, which showed up in the Arabian Journal of Geosciences starting earlier this year, many of which involve at least some researchers based in China, and from their titles appear to be utter gibberish — … Continue reading Springer Nature geosciences journal retracts 44 articles filled with gibberish
A total of 436 papers in two Springer Nature journals are being subjected to expressions of concern, in the latest case of special issues — in this case, “topical collections” — likely being exploited by rogue editors or impersonators. The move follows the discovery, as we reported in August, of more than 70 papers in … Continue reading Springer Nature slaps more than 400 papers with expressions of concern all at once
A group of researchers at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia have retracted a paper in Nature for data discrepancies and inconsistencies — as well as missing data. And one of the corresponding authors has left the institution, Retraction Watch has learned. The paper, “IspH inhibitors kill Gram-negative bacteria and mobilize immune clearance,” was published in … Continue reading Researcher leaves Wistar Institute as he retracts a Nature paper
The authors of a paper taking a major database to task for including papers from allegedly predatory journals are objecting to the retraction of the article, which followed a request by one of the publishers mentioned in the analysis. And at least one of the journal’s editorial board members is considering resigning over the move. … Continue reading Authors object after Springer Nature journal cedes to publisher Frontiers’ demand for retraction
This post was updated at 1145 UTC on August 13, 2021. In the original post, we noted that Joseph Powell and Gibran Hemani had not responded to our request for comment, which we sent shortly after learning under embargo from Nature that this retraction would be published. However, Powell did respond, copying Hemani, as Powell … Continue reading Authors — except one — retract 2014 Nature paper on genetics
A widely-touted 2019 study in Nature which argued that large societies gave rise to belief in fire-and-brimstone gods — and not the other way around — has been retracted by the authors after their reanalysis of the data in the wake of criticism diluted the strength of their conclusions. The article, “Complex societies precede moralizing … Continue reading Critique topples Nature paper on belief in gods
Nature seems to be having a bit of trouble sorting out its policies regarding conflict of interest statements. In late April, as we reported, the journal corrected a paper on fish farming after a journalist pointed out that the first author had undisclosed ties to the agribusiness giant Cargill. (The New York Times, which had … Continue reading Nature corrects a correction on conflicts of interest in fish farming paper
A 2008 story in Nature about Britney Spears that prompted an apology from the author and the journal earlier this week “remains as part of the publication record,” Nature said in an editor’s note. The story, titled “When Britney Spears comes to my lab,” appeared in a section of the journal called Nature Futures and … Continue reading Britney Spears story “remains as part of the publication record,” says Nature
Britney Spears has, as Retraction Watch readers no doubt know, been in the news a great deal lately, as the battle over her father’s “broad control over her life and finances” plays out in court. But a science fiction story about Spears that published in Nature in 2008 — the year Spears’ father was appointed … Continue reading Britney Spears story prompts apology from Nature and author