Retracted articles in rehabilitation: just the tip of the iceberg? A bibliometric analysis.
Marco Bordino, Elisa Ravizzotti, Stefano Vercelli
PMID 33292803WHAT IT FOUND
Retracted rehabilitation articles are increasing, but they remain rare at about 0.1% of publications.
Most retractions appear in non-open-access journals, and many flawed studies continue to be cited years after withdrawal, risking patient harm.
Key findings
01The number of retracted articles in rehabilitation rose significantly between 2009 and 2018, mirroring the overall growth in publications in the field.
02Retracted articles make up a very small proportion (about 0.1%) of all rehabilitation publications, though the true rate of misconduct may be higher due to undetected cases.
03A majority of retracted articles were published in non-open-access journals, and warnings about flawed data often came years after publication, allowing misleading conclusions to influence practice.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The search was limited to four databases, which may have underestimated the total number of retractions, particularly in open-access journals not indexed in these sources. The determination of whether an article was relevant to rehabilitation was subjective, though it was mitigated by having three independent reviewers. The study could not account for retractions that were never publicly disclosed or detected by editors and publishers. The analysis did not include 'expression of concern' notices, which might indicate flawed data that has not yet led to a full retraction.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study was not funded by a commercial entity; it appears to be an academic bibliometric analysis.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the low overall retraction rate (0.1%) means the literature is safe. Many retracted articles continue to be cited for years before being withdrawn, and the study notes that the actual number of flawed publications is likely higher than reported due to undetected misconduct.