Understanding retractions

Honest error and misconduct

A retraction is not proof of misconduct. Many papers are withdrawn by their own authors after mistakes come to light.

• US federal rules state that research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion.^1,2
• The rules require those deciding a case to give due consideration to evidence of honest error presented by the respondent.²
• ICMJE says honest errors are a part of science and publishing and require publication of a correction when they are detected.³
• Frances Arnold and co-authors retracted a 2019 Science paper in January 2020 after the results could not be reproduced, with no misconduct alleged in the coverage read.⁴
• In the Tessier-Lavigne review, NPR reported that Stanford's panel found he did not know about the misrepresentations in papers on which he was principal author, but that he could have overseen his lab better. Responsibility for a lab's papers is not the same as a personal misconduct finding.⁵

Sources

1. US Office of Research Integrity, Definition of research misconduct
2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR Part 93, Public Health Service policies on research misconduct (17 September 2024)
3. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), Corrections and version control
4. Pesquisa FAPESP, Article retracted by Nobel Prize winner (February 2020)
5. NPR, Stanford University president resigns (19 July 2023)