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The Top Retractions of 2022
From typo-laden code in psychedelics research to paper mills and plagiarism, we look back on some of the most notable retractions in scientific publishing this year.
The Top Retractions of 2022
The Top Retractions of 2022

From typo-laden code in psychedelics research to paper mills and plagiarism, we look back on some of the most notable retractions in scientific publishing this year.

From typo-laden code in psychedelics research to paper mills and plagiarism, we look back on some of the most notable retractions in scientific publishing this year.

journal retraction

the facade of a building. crisscrossed white walls intersect sets of four black windows in a lattice structure, with a cloudless blue sky in the background.
Exosome Scientist Douglas Taylor Stole and Mislabeled Images: Report
Katherine Irving | Nov 23, 2022 | 2 min read
Taylor, formerly of the University of Louisville, is known for his discovery of and research on tumor-secreted exosomes.  
magnifying glass in front of a stack of paper
Opinion: Science Needs Better Fraud Detection—And More Whistleblowers
Aman Majmudar, Undark | Oct 26, 2022 | 5 min read
An influential paper on amyloid protein and Alzheimer’s disease potentially fabricated data. Why did it take 16 years to flag?
a black pencil with a white eraser on the tip leaves eraser marks on a piece of paper
Nobel Prize Winner Faces Investigation into Paper Integrity
Katherine Irving | Oct 21, 2022 | 2 min read
Seventeen studies coauthored by Gregg Semenza have been retracted, corrected, or raised for concern, and 15 more are currently under investigation.
Profile view of a newborn piglet being held by a veterinarian dressed in green.
Federal Investigators Probe Possible Misconduct in Pig Research
Dan Robitzski | Aug 30, 2022 | 2 min read
A quintet of research papers, all involving subjecting newborn piglets to brain damage, have been retracted because the data can’t be substantiated.
A wire mesh garbage can has toppled over, spilling crumpled papers onto the ground.
Gone but Not Forgotten: Retracted COVID-19 Papers Still Cited
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Jul 14, 2022 | 5 min read
University of Wollongong epidemiologist Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz speaks with The Scientist about his team’s finding that flawed and fraudulent COVID-19 research continues to be cited.
Updated July 27
Magnifying glass in front of a stack of files of papers
PLOS ONE Pulls Five Papers Tied to Alzheimer’s Drug Controversy
Jef Akst | Mar 31, 2022 | 2 min read
The retracted studies were coauthored by a scientist who worked on an Alzheimer’s therapy in development by Cassava Sciences, a company reportedly under investigation for providing falsified data to the FDA.
Magazines and stethoscope
Q&A: Potential Partiality in Scientific Publishing
Chloe Tenn | Nov 23, 2021 | 4 min read
The Scientist interviewed clinical pharmacologist Clara Locher, coauthor of a new survey aimed at detecting editorial bias, regarding her team’s findings about biomedical publishing.
A conceptual illustration of computers, hands on mice, a virus
A Surge in Pandemic Research Shines a Spotlight on Preprints
Diana Kwon | Sep 10, 2021 | 5 min read
Many scientists have turned to preprints to rapidly disseminate their research on COVID-19, but some disagree with this approach.
an illustration of the earth with lines illustrating its geomagnetic fields
Paper Proposing COVID-19, Magnetism Link to Be Retracted
Shawna Williams | Nov 4, 2020 | 4 min read
The study, published in a peer-reviewed journal, has attracted widespread derision from researchers.
Timeline: When Bad Research Changes Public Health Strategy
Catherine Offord | Oct 1, 2020 | 1 min read
Illinois-based Surgisphere Corporation had a brief moment in the limelight this year following its infamous study of hydroxychloroquine. But the impact of the company’s deception reverberated across world.
The Surgisphere Scandal: What Went Wrong?
Catherine Offord | Oct 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
The high-profile retractions of two COVID-19 studies stunned the scientific community earlier this year and prompted calls for reviews of how science is conducted, published, and acted upon. The warning signs had been there all along.
The Lancet Alters Editorial Practices After Surgisphere Scandal
Catherine Offord | Sep 22, 2020 | 4 min read
The changes, which affect the declarations authors have to sign and the peer-review process, have received a mixed response from the scientific community.
Paper Used in Creationist Teaching Retracted After 30 Years
Ashley Yeager | Nov 11, 2019 | 2 min read
Criticism of the paper first surfaced in 1994, and its author was accused of scientific misconduct.
Nature Retracts Paper on Delivery System for CAR T Immunotherapy
Diana Kwon | Feb 20, 2019 | 3 min read
The manuscript had amassed more than 50 comments about problematic figures and data on PubPeer.
JAMA Journals Retract Six Papers by Cornell Researcher
Ashley Yeager | Sep 19, 2018 | 2 min read
Problems with Brian Wansink’s research articles surfaced in 2017 and have now resulted in 13 retractions total.
Study: 35,000 Papers May Have Retraction-Worthy Image Duplication
Catherine Offord | Jun 29, 2018 | 2 min read
The authors of a preprint recommend that journals implement better image screening procedures before publishing articles.
Italian Scientist’s Retraction Count Hits 15
Diana Kwon | Mar 5, 2018 | 2 min read
Alfredo Fusco, a once prominent cancer researcher, has been under investigation for alleged research misconduct since 2012.
Kyoto University Finds Stem Cell Researcher Guilty of Data Fabrication
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 24, 2018 | 2 min read
The scientist was a member of a stem cell research team led by Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka. 
Mass Resignation from Scientific Reports’s Editorial Board
Catherine Offord | Nov 6, 2017 | 2 min read
Nineteen researchers have stepped down after the journal decided not to retract a paper that they say plagiarized the work of a Johns Hopkins biomedical scientist.
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