Retraction cites “unintended excessive reuse” in commentary — of paper it was praising

We here at Retraction Watch HQ are always on the lookout for euphemisms for plagiarism (and other misconduct, of course). Among our favorites are “referencing failure” and the journal that allowed researchers to call plagiarism an “approach” to writing. Here’s a new one that’s sure to do well with voters. The journal Rejuvenation Research has … Continue reading Retraction cites “unintended excessive reuse” in commentary — of paper it was praising

“Bird vocalizations” and other best-ever plagiarism excuses: A wrap-up of the 3rd World Conference on Research Integrity

What are the best excuses you’ve seen for plagiarism? James Kroll, at the National Science Foundation’s Office of Inspector General, has collected a bunch over the years (click on the image to enlarge):

Pharmacology journal expresses concern over “similar, but updated” review

The British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology has issued an “expression of concern” for a 2003 review article, based on a previous lecture, with close echoes to a paper that had appeared in one of The Lancet titles. Here’s the notice for the article, by Peter Winstanley, dean of the Warwick Medical School in the United … Continue reading Pharmacology journal expresses concern over “similar, but updated” review

Dental paper pulled for “unattributed overlap”

The Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials is retracting a 2010 paper by Turkish dental researchers for “unattributed overlap.” We’re pretty sure that’s a euphemism for plagiarism we haven’t heard before — and it raises the question, could you have acceptable, attributed overlap? The study has been cited three times, according to … Continue reading Dental paper pulled for “unattributed overlap”

Korean ENT journal retracts 17 papers, citing ‘overlap’

The Korean Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery has retracted 17 papers, with the common theme of ‘overlap’ — almost always a euphemism for plagiarism, whether self or otherwise. Published between 1993 and 2006, the articles came from a group of authors at the department of otolaryngology at Ajou University School of Medicine in Suwon, … Continue reading Korean ENT journal retracts 17 papers, citing ‘overlap’