In recent years, the number of retracted journal articles has been on the rise. A study published by Nature in 2023 revealed that more than 10,000 research papers were retracted that year—a record high1.

Academic publishing is facing new challenges with the rise of generative AI tools. Retraction Watch, a platform that tracks paper retractions, has revealed a concerning trend: the emergence of papers potentially written by ChatGPT.

You would not want to cite a retracted paper in your article or your thesis without knowing. This week we talk about how to get yourself aware of retractions, and to do a reference “health check” before you submit your writing.

While research publications on coronavirus have mushroomed in an amazing speed in 2020, some of them had to be retracted for various reasons. Retraction Watch is a good source to help us keep track of them.