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.

Crossref's recent acquisition of the Retraction Watch data will enhance the quality, transparency, and completeness of metadata on retractions in academic publications. In this post, we present some of our preliminary analysis.

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.