While scientific misconduct has “enjoyed some limelight lately” in the news, Retraction Watch co-founders Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus report that “the academic world still seems determined to look the other way.” Oransky and Marcus write that retractions have risen sharply in recent years as volunteers search for anomalies and publishers fight back against paper mills. However, the authors estimate that at least 100,000 retractions should occur each year, which indicates that the rate of retractions”about 5,500 a year”is still an undercount of misconduct and fraud. Oransky and Marcus outline the factors that contribute to this issue and call for improved funding to detect and sanction research fraud.
The Guardian
