[Feature Request<SOLVED>] Paper Retraction Checker?

A place for users to ask each other questions, make suggestions, and discuss Bookends.
Post Reply
iandol
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:31 pm

[Feature Request<SOLVED>] Paper Retraction Checker?

Post by iandol »

Endnote has just added a tool to check for whether a paper has been retracted when you are citing it (in their CWYW tool). Zotero, Papers and a few others have already supported checking for retractions for some time. There are several sources of this data. Zotero, Papers, Endnote etc. are apparently using the retraction watch database (which is free for non-commercial use at least, not sure what the exact model is: http://retractiondatabase.org/RetractionSearch.aspx | https://retractionwatch.com ), whereas there is also Pubmed and Crossref sources (combined together with an open API here: http://openretractions.com ). So at least the first part, data, should be OK, although the details of whether retraction-watch or open-retractions should be used remains.

The second part would be how to implement this. One way would be per-ref as an option in the context menu or refs menu. Another would be as a database-wide search (if the APIs allow that). Finally at least Papers and Endnote seem to be flagging a retraction when the user is actually citing the paper. The Inspector may also be a good place to expose this information in the UI as it is already being used for citation links?

And, given the Applescript interface, we users could always develop a script to check selected references, depending on what Jon decides on adding this as a feature...

As an aside, bookends users can add a simple per ref search if you use this setting in your OpenURL Bookends prefs, this will open in a browser and if there is a 404 error it means no retraction info, or it can return some data in JSON format detailing either a retraction or a correction:
Screenshot 2022-05-03 at 16.42.07.png
Screenshot 2022-05-03 at 16.42.07.png (4.59 KiB) Viewed 3929 times
- - - -
Endnote info: https://support.clarivate.com/Endnote/s ... uage=en_US — Papers info: https://www.papersapp.com/blog-papers-a ... n-support/ — An interesting summary (as of 2020) by a librarian: https://medium.com/a-academic-librarian ... 63a6632f1e
Last edited by iandol on Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:10 am, edited 2 times in total.
iandol
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:31 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Paper Retraction Checker?

Post by iandol »

A related API that will be invaluable is for Pubpeer; Zotero already has support but a more general API is apprently available: https://pubpeer.com/static/faq#33
Jon
Site Admin
Posts: 10048
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:27 pm
Location: Bethesda, MD
Contact:

Re: [Feature Request] Paper Retraction Checker?

Post by Jon »

Thanks, I'll take a look at at this to the list of requested features.

Jon
Sonny Software
iandol
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:31 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Paper Retraction Checker?

Post by iandol »

Trying to get Zotero setup to test the sync, one of the papers in my database was retracted and Zotero made me very clearly aware of it! :lol:
Screenshot 2023-01-07 at 10.43.11.png
Screenshot 2023-01-07 at 10.43.11.png (83.92 KiB) Viewed 3281 times
iandol
Posts: 465
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:31 pm

Re: [Feature Request] Paper Retraction Checker?

Post by iandol »

Jon just added a retraction check for citation checks using OpenAlex in V14.2.7 — there is even a smart group for retractions. The other additions to the citations search are brilliant, especially that we can even include this in our formats, so that e.g. for our own citations we get a live tally of citations, so useful!

Thank you!!!
Post Reply