Retraction Watch Database
The research team behind the Retraction Watch blog has officially launched an online database of retracted journal articles and conference papers. The database is to be found at the same URL as its beta version (Oransky 2018). The database contains information about retracted or otherwise illegitimate papers (e.g. duplicate papers). The database containing more than 18,000 retractions is the result of a project that has been ongoing for several years and so far, this is the largest and the most reliable database offering this kind of information.
The database may be searched using multiple criteria. Along with the basic bibliographic metadata, authors’ affiliations and reasons for retraction are provided for each article in the database. The Retraction Watch Team will continue to develop the database as financial means allow.
As retractions are often insufficiently transparent and it is sometimes impossible to find any information about them, the database is not definitive. Due to this, the Retraction Watch team encourages all users who may know about retractions that are not in the database to submit information using this form: https://goo.gl/mxUqzk. Scholars who would like to use data from the database in their research may contact the Retraction Watch team.
Keeping this in mind, CEON/CEES will initiate cooperation with Retraction Watch with the aim of developing further the Mind the Trap system (alerting the editorial staff of SCIndeks journals of illegitimate references in submitted manuscripts). The purpose of the planned non-commercial agreement will be to exchange useful information. CEON/CEES will offer information on retractions in SCIndeks, ensuring, in turn, the automatic retrieval of retractions from all international journals.
References
Oransky, A. I. (2018, October 25). We’re officially launching our database today. Here’s what you need to know. Retrieved October 26, 2018, https://retractionwatch.com/2018/10/25/were-officially-launching-our-database-today-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
Brainard, J. (2018). What a massive database of retracted papers reveals about science publishing’s ‘death penalty.’ Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav8384
