It seemed like a touching tribute when Jiasheng Diao dedicated his 2009 article, “Crystal Structure of Butyrate Kinase 2 from Thermotoga maritima, a Member of the ASKHA Superfamily of Phosphotransferases,” in the Journal of Bacteriology to a deceased mentor, Miriam Hasson. Before her death in January 2006, of a brain tumor, Hasson and her husband, … Continue reading Journal retracts protein paper from scientist who misused deceased mentor’s data
We’ve been watching with interest an unfolding flap about a controversial 2003 paper in the Archives of Sexual Behavior (ASB) by a prominent mental health researcher, Robert Spitzer, which suggested that gays could be deprogrammed by so-called “reparative therapy” to change their sexual orientation. Spitzer, who was instrumental in the effort to extradite homosexuality from … Continue reading Controversial homosexuality “reparative therapy” paper staying put despite author’s regrets
“This American Life,” the popular radio show hosted by Ira Glass, is retracting an episode in which monologist Mike Daisey claimed to have described conditions in a Chinese factory that makes electronic devices, including Apple products. According to a note about this week’s episode: Regrettably, we have discovered that one of our most popular episodes … Continue reading Watch and learn, science journals: “This American Life” retracts Mike Daisey segment on Apple in China
The University of Connecticut, in what clearly seems like an attempt to get ahead of damaging news, has announced an “extensive” investigation into research misconduct involving one of its scientists, Dipak K. Das. According to a press release, the university has notified 11 journals that published Das’ work about the alleged fraud. One area of … Continue reading UConn resveratrol researcher Dipak Das fingered in sweeping misconduct case
Several journals in the field of orthopedics and related disciplines have been victimized by an apparent serial plagiarist. The author, Bernardino Saccomanni, of Gabriele D’ Annunzio University, in Chieti Scalo, Italy—across the boot and up a bit from Rome—appears to have lifted significant amounts of text in several articles. Last January, for example, Current Reviews … Continue reading Multiple retractions as brazen plagiarist victimizes orthopedics literature
Here’s a he said-he said that left one author with a publication, then nothing, and us scratching our heads. In March 2010, the British Journal of Haematology issued a rather straightforward correction regarding a 2007 article by a group of researchers from Kansas Kansas City, Missouri. The glitch? The manuscript evidently left out an author: … Continue reading Lab squabble leads to retracted correction over authorship in British Journal of Haematology
At the beginning of November, Science issued an “editorial expression of concern” over a 2011 paper by the disgraced Dutch social psychologist Diederik Stapel, in the wake of an announcement by his former employer Tilburg University, that it had found evidence of fraud in Stapel’s body of work. A month later, Science has gone the … Continue reading Science drops other shoe in Stapel case, retracts recent paper on chaos
We tend to get certain questions over and over, so we figured we’d gather the answers in one place. We’ll add to this list as other common questions come up. You may also find it useful to read our first post, “Why write a blog about retractions?” Why do you guys do this? Good question. … Continue reading The Retraction Watch FAQ, including comments policy
The Journal of Experimental Medicine has retracted a 2011 article after the principal investigator’s home institution suggested that the PI might have manipulated his data. Complicating matters, the PI in this case died two weeks after the paper appeared and his notes have gone missing — making an affirmative declaration of fraud or honest error … Continue reading Retraction comes as death of PI leads to lost records
In 2009, Donald Williamson made what many biologists said was an extraordinary claim: The reason caterpillars become butterflies is that two different species accidentally mated with one another. As Brendan Borrell explained at the time in Scientific American: