To help protect research integrity, LibrarySearch now flags not just retracted articles – but also articles that cite retracted research.
Why this matters
Retracted articles often contain serious issues such as errors, ethical problems, or false data. Using them, even unknowingly, can:
- Undermine your research
- Mislead future studies
- Cause harm in clinical settings
LibrarySearch already alerts you when an article itself has been retracted. Now, it also warns you if an article you’re viewing cites retracted research – a key detail that’s often hidden or overlooked.
How it works
This new service is made available through the integration between LibrarySearch and LibKey. When accessing articles in LibrarySearch via LibKey’s “Download PDF” or “Read Article” links, you may see a screen showing if the article cites any retracted papers.
For example: see this article in LibrarySearch “Transcranial electrical stimulation improves cognitive training effects in healthy elderly adults with low cognitive performance”
Click on the “Download PDF” link:
You’ll see this intervening page – with a warning message that the article contains retracted citations:
From there, you can:
- View details of the retracted citations
- Continue to the full article
Enabling you to make informed decisions before relying on or citing the work.
What this means for you
Over 500,000 articles citing retracted research have already been flagged, with more added daily. This new feature is already live in LibrarySearch and the LibKey Nomad browser plug-in.
Clare Allan
Digital & Systems Librarian