Retraction does not end the life of bad science — this review shows how misconduct-driven papers can keep shaping citations, clinical thinking, and public belief long after formal withdrawal. Drawing on 129 references, it maps why retractions fail, where the system breaks, and why the hidden afterlife of invalid research matters far more than most readers realize.
Abstract: To synthesize the causes, temporal trends, geographic distributions, and post-retraction impacts of research retractions across diverse academic disciplines and publication formats. This scoping review draws on 129 references and indicates that research retraction is most consistently characterized as a misconduct-centered problem, while also showing that correction of the scholarly record is often incomplete after withdrawal. Across specialties, 63.78% to 80% of post-retraction citations continued to treat retracted work as valid, and some studies linked citation of retracted work to markedly higher downstream retraction risk in citing literature (odds ratio 6.57), highlighting that invalid findings can remain active within evidence ecosystems long after formal removal. The evidence map also suggests that delayed retraction, opaque notices, weak database signaling, and poor propagation to preprints or alternative copies are recurring mechanisms that sustain this persistence. For clinicians, researchers, and guideline developers, this supports routine verification of article status across authoritative databases and greater caution with rapidly disseminated or unusually influential findings, especially in high-pressure publishing contexts such as the coronavirus disease 2019 period. Although the mapped literature is heterogeneous and largely observational, it consistently points toward the practical value of clearer retraction notices, stronger editorial follow-up, and structured integrity screening before and after publication. Future research should prioritize standardized cross-platform tracking of retraction status and prospective evaluation of interventions that can reduce retraction delay, improve notice transparency, and interrupt affirmative citation of invalidated work.
Keywords: Scientific misconduct; Research integrity; Retraction notices; Post-retraction citation; Peer review manipulation; Data fabrication; Plagiarism; Scholarly communication; Publication ethics; Duplicate publication; Public Health; Health Sciences
Review Stats
Final search date and database lock: 2026-04-08 18:09:06 CEST
Plan: Pro (expanded craft tokens; source: PubMed)
Source: PubMed
Total Abstracts/Papers: 306
Downloaded Abstracts/Papers: 306
Included original and non-original Abstracts/Papers (all): 201
Included original Abstracts/Papers (Vote counting by direction of effect): 103
Reference Index (links used in paper): 129
Total participants (topic deduplicated ΣN): 1503065
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Reference Index (129)
[1] Retraction: “LncRNA HAND2-AS1 exerts anti-oncogenic effects on ovarian cancer via restoration of BCL2L11 as a sponge of microRNA-340-5p”. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.30964
[2] Retraction: “Downregulated long noncoding RNA LINC00313 inhibits the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, and migration of thyroid cancer cells through inhibiting the methylation of ALX4”. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.30963
[5] Inconsistent and incomplete retraction of published research: A cross-sectional study on Covid-19 retractions and recommendations to mitigate risks for research, policy and practice. — https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258935
[6] Research misconduct in health and life sciences research: A systematic review of retracted literature from Brazilian institutions. — https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214272
[10] Altmetric Activity and Scientific Integrity: A Retraction Analysis of PubMed-Indexed Social Media-Related Publications. — https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2026.41.e84
[12] Retraction “Cisplatin-induced antitumor activity is potentiated by the soy isoflavonen genistein in BxPC-3 pancreatic tumor xenografts”. — https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.30215
[14] Reasons for retraction of clinical research articles in PubMed indexed medical journals from 2012 to 2022. — https://doi.org/10.20529/ijme.2024.067
[16] Surveillance of clinical research integrity in medically assisted reproduction: a systematic review of retracted publications. — https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1210951
[26] Fraud and retraction in perioperative medicine publications: what we learned and what can be implemented to prevent future recurrence. — https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2021-107252
[29] Retraction of biomedical publications with Tunisian affiliation: causes, characteristics, and legislation regarding breaches of scientific integrity. — https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2024.48.182.44793
[38] For how long and with what relevance do genetics articles retracted due to research misconduct remain active in the scientific literature. — https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2020.1835479
[42] Dissemination of Erroneous Research Findings and Subsequent Retraction in High-Circulation Newspapers: A Case Study of Alleged MDMA-Induced Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates. — https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2020.1847365
[47] Exploring the characteristics, global distribution and reasons for retraction of published articles involving human research participants: a literature survey. — https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s151745
[51] Identifying and managing problematic trials: A research integrity assessment tool for randomized controlled trials in evidence synthesis. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1599
[64] Analysis of Retractions in Nursing from Publications Between 2000 and 2024: A Bibliometric Analysis Using Retraction Watch. — https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15100349
[66] Research Integrity in Guidelines and evIDence synthesis (RIGID): a framework for assessing research integrity in guideline development and evidence synthesis. — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102717
[69] Fifty Years of Retracted Medical Publications From 1975 to 2024: A Comprehensive Analysis of Trends, Reasons, and Countries Using the Retraction Watch Database. — https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2025.40.e300
[78] Public Response to Scientific Misconduct: Assessing Changes in Public Sentiment Toward the Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency (STAP) Cell Case via Twitter. — https://doi.org/10.2196/publichealth.5980
[87] How long does it take for the scientific literature to purge itself of fraudulent material?: the Breuning case revisited. — https://doi.org/10.1185/03007991003603804
[93] Retracted vs non-retracted obstetrical randomized trials: Which quality criteria are most associated with retraction for untrustworthiness? — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2025.03.047
[95] Hydroxychloroquine use during the first COVID-19 wave: a case study highlighting the urgent need to enhance research practices within the publication ecosystem. — https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-025-01596-2
[96] Plagiarism, Fake Peer-Review, and Duplication: Predominant Reasons Underlying Retractions of Iran-Affiliated Scientific Papers. — https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-020-00274-6
[97] Learning from Retracted Papers Authored by the Highly Cited Iran-affiliated Researchers: Revisiting Research Policies and a Key Message to Clarivate Analytics. — https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-022-00368-3
[115] Improving the Reliability of Literature Reviews: Detection of Retracted Articles through Academic Search Engines. — https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe12050034
[131] Opening the black box of article retractions: exploring the causes and consequences of data management errors. — https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240844
[137] Are you aware of your citations? A cross-sectional survey on improper citations of retracted articles in assisted reproduction. — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.104366
[152] A comprehensive analysis of articles retracted between 2004 and 2013 from biomedical literature - a call for reforms. — https://doi.org/10.4103/2225-4110.136264
[154] Perpetuation of Retracted Publications Using the Example of the Scott S. Reuben Case: Incidences, Reasons and Possible Improvements. — https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-015-9680-y
[157] RETRACTION: Regulation of Prostaglandin Production in Carrageenan-Induced Pleurisy Melatonin. — https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.70011
[158] RETRACTION: Environmental Disruption of Circadian Rhythm Predisposes Mice to Osteoarthritis-Like Changes in Knee Joint. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.31457
[164] RETRACTION: Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Accelerates Matrix Degradation via a Neuro-endocrine Pathway in Human Adult Articular Chondrocytes. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.31453
[166] Clarifying middle authorship contributions to reduce abuses in science publishing and assessment of top-ranked SJR biochemistry and pharmacology journals' authorship criteria. — https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-024-03277-3
[168] RETRACTION: Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 Promotes Catabolism via FGFR1-Ras-Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 Axis That Coordinates With the PKCδ Pathway in Human Articular Chondrocytes. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jcb.30665
[169] RETRACTED: An examination of the relationship between autism spectrum disorder, intellectual functioning, and comorbid symptoms in children. — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.02.013
[176] RETRACTION: Development of an Experimental Animal Model for Lower Back Pain by Percutaneous Injury-Induced Lumbar Facet Joint Osteoarthritis. — https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.31455
[184] Retraction Statement: Mitochondrial protein acetylation mediates nutrient sensing of mitochondrial protein synthesis and mitonuclear protein balance. — https://doi.org/10.1002/iub.1591
[185] Retraction notice to 'Grape Powder Supplementation Prevents Oxidative Stress-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior, Memory Impairment, and High Blood Pressure in Rats' [J Nutr 143 (2013) 835-842]. — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.02.023
