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Animal Ethics Biosafety Human Research Ethics Research Integrity

Retracting publications doesn’t stop them from influencing science – Massive Science (Fanni Daniella Szakal | March 2021)

Posted by Dr Gary Allen in Research Integrity on April 18, 2021
Keywords: Institutional responsibilities, Journal, Merit and integrity, Publication ethics, Research results, Researcher responsibilities

The Linked Original Item was Posted On April 15, 2021

A magnifying glass focussed on the word "Fraud"

“Zombie papers” keep on getting cited, with huge ripple effects

What do studies on omega-3 fatty acids, hydroxyethyl starch, and COVID-19 have in common? The resulting scientific papers were all retracted.

Research outputs can be retracted for a number of reasons, including fabrication of data, conflicts of interest, or fraud. Consequently Zombie Papers (where a paper has been retracted, but continues to be cited and impact upon practice) are a huge concern.  This Massive Science article reflects on the phenomena, its impact and why things need to change.  We have included links to three related items.

Nevertheless, they have all been cited countless times since then. As an eraser of mistakes in scientific publishing, retraction discredits the validity of a study’s claims due to flawed methodology, biased interpretation, or even fabrication of data. Unfortunately, it seems it is not so easy to erase a published study from the collective scientific consciousness. A retracted study should be a relic belonging to the virtual museum of past science – but like zombies of the scientific publishing world, they are kept alive by continued citations.

A study in Science analyzed the post-retraction citations of two COVID-19 papers originally published in The Lancet and in The New England Journal of Medicine. As both studies were linked to the same dubious database as the source of their raw data, their retractions were followed by a widespread media scandal.

Screen shot of a news story about Zombie Papers
Retracting publications doesn’t stop them from influencing science
“Zombie papers” keep on getting cited, with huge ripple effects

Related Reading

Ivan Oransky on Scientific Papers – The Body of Evidence (Interview | November 2020)

Zombie papers: Why do papers by the most prolific fraudster in history keep getting cited? – Retraction Watch (Adam Marcus | April 2020)

Retraction Watch: We’re officially launching our database today. Here’s what you need to know.

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