METHODS: The PubMed database was searched using the term \"COVID-19\" (coronavirus disease 2019) and the term limitation \"retracted publication.\" The characteristics of the journals with retracted articles, the types of article, and the reasons for retraction were analyzed.
RESULTS: This search recovered 196 articles that had been retracted. These retractions were published in 179 different journals; 14 journals had >1 retracted article. The mean impact factor of these journals was 8.4, with a range of 0.32-168.9. The most frequent reasons for retractions were duplicate publication, concerns about data validity and analysis, concerns about peer review, author request, and the lack of permission or ethical violation. There were significant differences between the types of article and the reasons for retraction but no consistent pattern. A more detailed analysis of two particular retractions demonstrates the complexity and the effort required to make decisions about article retractions.
CONCLUSIONS: The retraction of published articles presents a significant challenge to journals, editorial boards, peer reviewers, and authors. This process has the potential to provide important benefits; it also has the potential to undermine confidence in both research and the editorial process.
方法:使用术语“COVID-19”(2019年冠状病毒病)和术语“限制”撤回出版物搜索PubMed数据库。“撤回文章的期刊的特点,文章的类型,并分析了回撤的原因。
结果:此搜索恢复了已撤回的196篇文章。这些撤回发表在179种不同的期刊上;14种期刊有>1篇撤回的文章。这些期刊的平均影响因子为8.4,范围为0.32-168.9。撤回的最常见原因是重复出版,对数据有效性和分析的担忧,对同行评审的担忧,作者请求,以及缺乏许可或违反道德的行为。文章类型和回缩原因之间存在显着差异,但没有一致的模式。对两个特定撤回的更详细的分析表明,对文章撤回做出决定所需的复杂性和工作量。
结论:撤回已发表的文章对期刊提出了重大挑战,编辑委员会,同行审稿人,和作者。这个过程有可能提供重要的好处;它也有可能破坏人们对研究和编辑过程的信心。