Retracted Publications Within Journals: Further Causes for Concern.

Abstract

AJR 2016; 207:W6 0361–803X/16/2071–W6 © American Roentgen Ray Society Retracted Publications Within Journals: Further Causes for Concern We read with interest the recent article by Rosenkrantz [1] on retracted publications within radiology journals, in which the author concludes that “retraction represents an uncommon, yet potentially increasing, issue within radiology journals that publishers have inconsistently and insufficiently addressed” [1]. Aside from the practical process of retraction that journals perform when misconduct is detected, additional actions subsequent to the actual retraction are necessary. Routinely, journals contact the institution or institutions of the authors of the article to report the misconduct and retraction [2]. Some journals may sanction authors and report the problem to the World Association of Medical Editors. Although corrective and punitive measures are an important part of the process, preventive action is critical [3]. Finally, as Rosenkrantz noted, preventing citation of the retracted articles by authors who are unaware of the retraction is an important issue that needs to be addressed. A novel approach to this problem recently suggested by Cosentino and Verissimo [4] warrants attention. Beuy Joob Sanitation 1 Medical Academic Center, Bangkok, Thailand Viroj Wiwanitkit Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China; Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Nigeria