Since the start of the pandemic, journals have retracted more than 200 COVID-19related papers and counting, most of them in 2021. But such papers represent only about 5 percent of the more than 3,000 retractions weve indexed this year in the Retraction Watch Database. In what has become an annual tradition, here we present the top retraction stories of the year.
1Like a lot of people, Victor Grech, a pediatric heart specialist in Malta, really likes Star Trek. The problem is that Grech was able to turn an Elsevier journal called Early Human Development into something of a scientific fanzine, publishing dozens of articles for the periodical that were in a galaxy far, far outside the scope of its editorial interests. The publisher learned about the problematic papers in late 2020 from Hampton Gaddy, an undergrad at the University of Oxford in the UK. Grechs articles covered topics such as the role of nurses in Star Trek, the banality of evil in Star Trek, and the portrayal of doctors in, you guessed it, Star Trek. Grech eventually lost more than two dozen papers to retraction.
2In 2015, officials at the University of Colorado Denver concluded that one of its former faculty members, Hari Koul, needed to correct or retract nine papers over concerns about problematic images in the articles. But six years later, most of those articles remained intactand many of the journals involved said theyd never heard of the investigation. After Retraction Watch reported on the delay, journals pulled three articles by Koul, who had left Denver for Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSU HSC) in Shreveport and eventually ended up at the schools New Orleans campus. Then, after local media reported on other allegations Retraction Watch had mentioned, LSU HSC New Orleans said it was investigating, and Koul stepped downfrom his post as department chair.
3When the journal Vaccine published a study in June claiming that COVID-19 vaccinations killed two people for every death they prevented, the scientific community was outraged. Two members of the journals editorial board stepped down to protest the article, which was written by Harald Walach, described on his Wikipedia page as a parapsychologist and advocate of alternative medicine. Vaccine quickly issued an expression of concern for the paper and subsequently retracted it. Meanwhile, Walach, whose institution in Poland terminated his position in response to the controversy, has defended his groups analysis, saying that the data, while imperfect, were analyzed correctly. He also lost another paper, in JAMA Pediatrics, on COVID-19 and masks for children.
4Last year, scientists began to express doubts about the validity of data theyd been receiving from Jonathan Pruitt, a behavioral ecologist with a prestigious position at McMaster University in Canada, whose field research on spiders had helped underpin many publications. Pruitts articles quickly began to fall, and over the next year he lost a dozen papers. Late this year, Pruitts doctoral dissertation, which hed received from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was withdrawn. Pruitt was placed on paid leave from McMaster and removed from the prestigious Canada 150 Chairs website.
5When Cyriac Abby Philips, a gastroenterologist in India, published a 2018 paper about a young woman whod suffered liver disease after taking herbal supplements, he didnt think that three years later hed be considering suing the journal for defamation. Philipss legal troubles started when he and his colleagues published their case study in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, an Elsevier title. Herbalife, which makes dietary supplements including the ones the patient took, pressured the journal, which ultimately decided to retract the work for legal reasons, as stated in the original retraction notice. That notice was later changed to say that the scientific methodology, analysis and interpretation of data underlying the article were insufficienta claim Philips called highly defamatory. He threatened to sue the publisher and the journal for the equivalent of US $1.35 million. The retraction notice promptly was changed again, and now cites legal pressures as it initially did.
6Retractions often take years, but not in this case. Barely a month after the publication of a paper claiming female scientists fare better under male mentors, Nature Communications retracted the article amid a storm of criticism. Written by a group from the Abu Dhabi campus of New York University, the paper was lambasted from the moment it appeared online in mid-November. As one statistician tweeted, the paper doesnt tell us much about the impact of gender on mentorship but it sure does tell us that the statistics community needs to do a better job teaching scientists about correlation, causation, and confounding. The authors said they agreed with the journals decision and said they felt deep regret that the publication of our research has both caused pain on an individual level and triggered such a profound response among many in the scientific community.
7Pierre Kory, then of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, testified to Congress in May 2020 that MATH+an intensive care regimen that includes methylprednisolone, ascorbic acid, thiamine, heparin, and co-interventionsslashed the risk of death from COVID-19 by 75 percent compared with other regimens. Then, last December, he and his colleagues published a paper in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine about MATH+ (to which they later added the controversial drug ivermectin) saying as much, prompting questions from other experts about whether the effectiveness of the approach was overstated. Those concerns appear to be warranted. In November, the journal retracted Korys paper, citing inaccurately reported data from one of the study sites in the analysis.
8In late 2020, the journal Eurosurveillance announced that, in response to an international petition, it was looking more closely at a paper it had published at the start of the year on the validity of PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 (at the time called 2019-nCoV). The news heartened critics of the article, who argued that PCR testing wasnt capable of identifying the virusand thus, positive tests were meaningless and shouldnt be used to guide public policy, especially economically damaging steps such as lockdowns. But two months later, the editors issued a statementsaying that the paper would stand (or more precisely, the criteria for a retraction of the article have not been fulfilled).
9Advocates for the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 have little in the way of robust evidence to support their belief that the deworming drug is effective against the infection. One study many ivermectin fans pointed to this year appeared in Viruses in the spring. The randomized controlled trial purportedly found that a single dose of the drug led to fewer symptoms, lower viral load and reduced hospital admissions. Except that wasnt true. As BBC News reported, the study was found to have blocks of details of 11 patients that had been copied and pasted repeatedlysuggesting many of the trials apparent patients didnt really exist. The authors acknowledged that theyd mixed up their data files, and in November the journal retracted the paper, but not before the study had become part of a meta-analysis on the virtues of ivermectin for COVID-19, which as of this writing remains uncorrected.
10Finally, one of our favorites for the year. The Arabian Journal of Geosciences was forced to retract 44 articles from a special issue after readers pointed out that they appeared to be utter gibberish. The first clue? The titles read like a bunch of graduate students playing drunk Mad Libs: Neural networkbased urban rainfall trend estimation and adolescent anxiety management; Distribution of earthquake activity in mountain area based on embedded system and physical fitness detection of basketball. A guest editor of the journal, which is owned by Springer Nature, at one point blamed an email hack for the nonsense articles. In fact, the 44 were just the tip of the sand dune for Springer Nature. More than 400 papers in journals owned by the companyand hundreds more at journals owned by Elsevierhave been flagged for similar problems.
Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus are the founders ofRetraction Watch. Email them atteam@retractionwatch.com, follow them on Twitter @RetractionWatch, and sign up for their daily newsletter.
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The Top Retractions of 2021 - The Scientist
- Ed's Guide to Alternative Therapies - pathguy.com - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine Guide | University ... - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Overview - December 26th, 2016 [December 26th, 2016]
- Alternative Medicine, Holistic Doctors,Naturopathic ... - January 5th, 2017 [January 5th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine Degrees - Excite Education - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine | Category | Fox News - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine - Disabled World - January 13th, 2017 [January 13th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine Degree, BS - Everglades University - January 23rd, 2017 [January 23rd, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine | Duke University Press - January 23rd, 2017 [January 23rd, 2017]
- Bill to rein in alternative medicine practitioners - Bangalore Mirror - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Peroxide ingestion, promoted by alternative medicine, can be deadly - Science Daily - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Can Peroxide Kill You? Yes, Say Doctors About This Alternative Medicine Favorite - Medical Daily - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Marijuana tension between clinical, alternative medicine ... - Washington Times - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Cannabis providers feel tension between clinical and alternative medicine - The Cannabist - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Happy Healthy YOU - Tillsonburg News - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Health dept cracks down on alternative meds containing sildenafil citrate - NYOOOZ - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine Conferences | Traditional Medicine ... - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- American Institute of Alternative Medicine - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Alternative medicine to treat pain and other ailments on the rise locally - Rockford Register Star - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine Career Information and Education ... - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Why is alternative medicine so popular? - Alternative ... - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Potential dangers and dubious history of alternative medicine are often unknown to its consumers - MinnPost - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- New form of alternative medicine comes to OU - Oaklandpostonline - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- OPENING THE PLAYBOOK ON ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE - Dope Magazine - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Ask a Doctor: Is there an alternative medicine treatment for constant pain? - Chattanooga Times Free Press - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Alternative medicine grows in Sugar Land, Missouri City - Community Impact Newspaper - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Medicine with a side of mysticism: Top hospitals promote unproven therapies - STAT - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Abstracts: Obamacare Replacement, Alternative Medicine, and More - Undark Magazine - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- For Prairie Village practitioner, personal experience led to interest in alternative medicine techniques - Shawnee Mission Post - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Financial Planning + Alternative Medicine - March 8, 2017 ... - KHTS Radio - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Premier U.S. Hospitals Are Selling Unproven Alternative Therapies ... - KQED - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Speakers lay stress on use of alternative medicine - The Nation - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Top U.S. hospitals promote unproven medicine with a side of ... - PBS - PBS NewsHour - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Medical cannabis expert discusses treatment options - Herald-Whig - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- 5 ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES EVERY MAN SHOULD BE AWARE OF - TORO Magazine - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- CID unearths fake 'council of alternative medicines' in Behala - Millennium Post - June 11th, 2017 [June 11th, 2017]
- Parents who believe in 'alternative nutrition' convicted after baby dies of malnutrition - Telegraph.co.uk - June 14th, 2017 [June 14th, 2017]
- Times of Malta Alternative medicine - Times of Malta - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Suffering from severe pain? Experts say THIS form of alternative medicine will work just as well as drugs! - Zee News - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- IBAM Indian Board of Alternative Medicine - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Alternative medicine practitioner charged with sexual assault in Burlington - Hamilton Spectator - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Mind, body, spirit: Nurse opens holistic health store to promote overall wellness - Muscatine Journal - June 21st, 2017 [June 21st, 2017]
- Four of the Most Misused Terms in Alternative Medicine - ATTN: - June 24th, 2017 [June 24th, 2017]
- How cupping therapy helps athletes like Michael Phelps as an alternative medicine - Sport360 - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Calimesa Alternative Medicine - Weedmaps - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Homeopathic Health Center | Columbus, OH - (614) 890-2589 - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine | What Is Alternative Medicine? - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Quotes About Alternative Medicine (30 quotes) - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine That Doctors Recommend | Reader's Digest - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine Schools - Excite Education - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Medical journal takes aim at natural remedies - CBC.ca - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Healing through alternative medicine: Winona locals choose acupuncture as a cure - Winona Daily News - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Patrick Noel, DC: Restoring the body's innate ability to heal through chiropractic care - Colorado Springs Gazette - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Back Pain? Try Yoga - New York Times - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Jerusalem: Alternative healer indicted on rape charges - The Jerusalem Post - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Does Pink Himalayan Salt Have Any Health Benefits? - TIME - June 29th, 2017 [June 29th, 2017]
- Not all wellness is bullshit - Quartz - June 30th, 2017 [June 30th, 2017]
- What's happening in your body during acupuncture? - The Verge - July 1st, 2017 [July 1st, 2017]
- Natural and Alternative Medicine against Asthma - Radio Cadena Agramonte - July 3rd, 2017 [July 3rd, 2017]
- Alternative Medicine in Halacha: a Review - Yeshiva World News - July 3rd, 2017 [July 3rd, 2017]
- West Bengal's top doctors turn out fakes, arrests blow lid off thriving scam - Hindustan Times - July 5th, 2017 [July 5th, 2017]
- Sudbury woman chooses alternative treatments for stage 4 cancer - CBC.ca - July 6th, 2017 [July 6th, 2017]
- Unbiased reporting can help call time on pseudoscience - EuroScientist - July 6th, 2017 [July 6th, 2017]
- Holistic therapy for pets? Traditional vet care being blended with reiki, acupuncture - Georgia Voice - July 7th, 2017 [July 7th, 2017]
- A Memoir of Chronic Fatigue Illustrates the Failures of Medical Research - The New Yorker - July 10th, 2017 [July 10th, 2017]
- Valtrex after expiration - Alternative medicine for herpes simplex 2 - Van Wert independent - July 11th, 2017 [July 11th, 2017]
- Sacred Space, University of Miami partner to educate community on wellness - Miami Herald - July 11th, 2017 [July 11th, 2017]
- One FDA About-Face Doesn't Mean an Orphan-Drug Bonanza - Bloomberg - July 12th, 2017 [July 12th, 2017]
- 'Bridging medicine with nature' - The Torrington Telegram - July 12th, 2017 [July 12th, 2017]
- Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop posted a defense of its jade eggs for vaginas. It's a mess. - Vox - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- Acupuncture for pets? Yes, it's a thing - MyDaytonDailyNews - July 15th, 2017 [July 15th, 2017]
- Create Ministry for traditional, alternative medicine - Association - Graphic Online - July 17th, 2017 [July 17th, 2017]
- Native American healing class sparks unique health textbook - ABC News - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]
- Rav Elyashiv ZTL On Alternative Medicine By R. Yair Hoffman - Yeshiva World News - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]
- Expedite action on the passage of the alternative medicine bill ... - GhanaWeb - July 18th, 2017 [July 18th, 2017]
- Is Gwyneth Paltrow's pseudoscience winning? - Vox - July 20th, 2017 [July 20th, 2017]
- Salt Therapy Gaining Popularity in Alternative Medicine Circles - Newsmax - July 22nd, 2017 [July 22nd, 2017]
- Vargas: Weeding out herbal remedies for our pets - News Chief - July 24th, 2017 [July 24th, 2017]
- Patients recognise over-worked GPs as majority agree to see alternative medical professionals - Herald Series - July 25th, 2017 [July 25th, 2017]
- Cancer controversies and traditional medicines - Regina Leader-Post - July 26th, 2017 [July 26th, 2017]