An investigation of retracted articles in the biomedical literature

A major challenge to formal scientific communication is the retraction of published works. This study includes a detailed analysis of retracted articles in biomedical literature, including categorization of the reasons for retraction. The examination covers the years 2010 through 2014. Analysis also includes citations to articles retracted between 2001 and 2005. The totality of the investigation is couched within the context of communication in the biomedical sciences and, to a lesser extent, of the formulation of theories of citation.