Does science self-correct? What we’ve learnt at Retraction Watch

3:05 PM - 3:30 PM

Science prides itself on being self-correcting, and retractions are the nuclear option in cleaning up the scholarly record. So how do journals and publishers live up to the standards that they want readers, and the public, to associate with them? The data suggest that many fatally flawed papers remain unmarked in the literature, and that when retractions do happen, they can take years. But there are also some rays of sunshine at some institutions, thanks to the growth of post-publication peer review. My lens for this talk will be ten years of experience reporting on retractions for Retraction Watch, including creating the world’s most comprehensive database of retractions.