Glossary of retractions | Print Glossary
Feature: Your Guide to Retractions
Letters are often an opportunity for peers to raise concerns over the findings of others published in the journal. Errors raised by one author can stem from the inability to replicate findings, given the methods presented in publication. This often results in a response by the original authors, who might clarify the methods or explain, justify, or cast doubt on their own findings.
Correspondence includes matters arising.
For some, the Letters forum is the "progress of science" distilled. The exchange between authors and peers provides a natural check on potential errors in methodology and, in some cases, misconduct. In 2006, Science published 289 letters, according to the ISI database, and Nature published 270 letters. Cell publishes Matters Arising, which are articles submitted by researchers that directly challenge models or findings previously published in the journal.
In the case of ...
