Reasons for Retraction of Iranian Articles: A Systematic Review

This study aims to explore the reasons of the retraction of Iranian researchers’ articles in scientific journals.

To do this, we set a systematic review. The research population includes all articles that, in some way, have addressed the reasons for the retraction of Iranian researchers’ articles in international journals and publications. The most important global and Iranian scientific databases were searched for this purpose.

Ultimately, out of 559 initially identified articles, through title and abstract review, removal of duplicates, and precise text reading, 19 relevant articles were selected. Additionally, the reasons provided by the RetractionWatch database (https://retractionwatch.com) regarding the retraction of Iranians articles, were processed, recorded, and compared with the results of the systematic review. The research findings indicated that the most significant reasons for retraction of international articles of Iranian researchers (in no particular order) are: 1. plagiarism, 2. duplicate publication, 3. peer-review issues, 4. authorship disputes, and 5. data issues and errors.

Given the sensitivity of research matters and the topic of research misconduct, policymakers in the research domain as well as officials from ministries, organizations, and universities can utilize the findings of this study to strengthen research ethics and prevent various forms of research misconduct. Considering the aforementioned reasons, it seems that education, attention to the topic of research integrity, precise oversight, and the use of technologies such as similarity detection and research management softwares are the most vital strategies in this regard. Moreover, it would be recommended that research experts held the sessions related to research misbehavior.