Retraction Watch is a
blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
that reports on
retraction
Retraction or retract(ed) may refer to:
Academia
* Retraction in academic publishing, withdrawals of previously published academic journal articles
Mathematics
* Retraction (category theory)
* Retract (group theory)
* Retraction (topology)
Huma ...
s of
scientific papers and on related topics.
The blog was launched in August 2010
and is produced by science writers
Ivan Oransky
Ivan Oransky is the co-founder of Retraction Watch, a blog reporting scientific retractions, and a writer in residence at New York University's Arthur Carter Journalism Institute. Oransky graduated from New York University with a medical degree an ...
(Former Vice President, Editorial ''
Medscape'') and Adam Marcus (editor of ''Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News''). Its parent organization is the Center for Scientific Integrity.
Scope
Oransky and Marcus were motivated to launch ''Retraction Watch'' to increase the transparency of the retraction process.
They observed that retractions of papers generally are not announced, that the reasons for retractions are not publicized, and that other researchers or the public who are unaware of the retraction may make decisions based on invalid results.
Oransky described an example of a paper published in ''
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sc ...
'' which reported a potential role for a drug against some types of
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...
s. Although the paper was later retracted, its retraction was not reported in media outlets that had earlier reported its positive conclusions, with a company having been established on the basis of the ultimately retracted conclusions.
[Kelly Oakes]
Helping journalists track retractions: one year of Retraction Watch
Association of British Science Writers, August 20, 2011
Oransky and Marcus claim that retractions also provide a window into the self-correcting nature of science, can provide insight into cases of
scientific fraud, and can "be the source of great stories that say a lot about how science is conducted".
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, Retraction Watch maintained a separate list of retracted articles that added to misinformation
Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. It differs from disinformation, which is ''deliberately'' deceptive. Rumors are information not attributed to any particular source, and so are unreliable and often unverified, but can turn ou ...
about the pandemic, with additional research undertaken to analyse the subsequent pollution of further research as retracted papers are cited and used within scholarly research.
Impact
Retraction Watch has demonstrated that retractions are more common than was previously thought.[ When Retraction Watch was launched, Marcus "wondered if we'd have enough material".][ However, in its first year, the blog reported on approximately 200 retractions.]
Funding
Retraction Watch has been funded by a variety of sources, including donations and grants. They received grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the Laura and John Arnold Foundation
Arnold Ventures LLC (formerly known as The Laura and John Arnold Foundation) is focused on evidence-based giving in a wide range of categories including: criminal justice, education, health care, and public finance. The organization was founded by ...
. The database of retractions was funded by a 400,000 dollar grant from the MacArthur Foundation received in 2015. They have partnered with the Center for Open Science, which is also funded by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, to create a retraction database on the Open Science Framework.
See also
* Replication crisis
* Center for Open Science
References
External links
* {{official website
Science blogs
Medical controversies
Scientific misconduct
Media analysis organizations and websites
Error