Genetics papers retracted at much higher rates than other life sciences papers

The retraction rate for scientific articles found on the life sciences studies database PubMed is around 0.02%, but a new study finds that the retraction rate for genetics studies is nearly eight times higher. Roughly 975,000 genetics papers were published between 1996 and 2017, but 1,476 genetics papers were retracted, for a rate of roughly 0.15%. Looking back at genetics studies from 1970 to 2018, the study authors also found that more non-medical genetics papers were retracted than medical genetics studies, although medical papers were more likely to be investigated. Research misconduct in the form of duplication was the major reason for retraction in the studies, and the authors suggest improvements in imaging technology could be one reason why it’s easier to create falsified images that are also difficult for journals to detect.