A retracted article is an article that was withdrawn from the publication in which it appeared after it was published. A retraction is issued through a decision made by the publication's editorial board and may be initiated by the journal's editors or the author(s) of the paper. If only a portion of an article is being retracted it is often labelled as a correction or corrected article.
Authors should check their citation list for retractions before submitting a paper for publication. If you would like to cite a retracted article, note that it is retracted and also cite the retraction notice.
Retractions frequently occur because of research misconduct. Research misconduct is defined as one or all of the following1:
Retractions can also occur because of dishonest or unethical behavior that does not fall under commonly accepted definitions of research misconduct. Such behavior may include:
Retractions do not always indicate that research misconduct or unethical actions occurred. Articles may also be retracted for the following reasons:
1National Science Foundation (2018). Key regulations. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/oig/regulations/
Searching Databases for Retracted Publications or Articles
In a database or Google Scholar search, try using one of these keywords in a search:
Some databases also have the option to search for retracted, corrected, or republished articles:
Source: Guide to Science Information Resources LibGuide created by Kristy Padron, Florida Atlantic University Libraries
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