{"id":949609,"date":"2026-05-10T03:21:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T03:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/949609\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T03:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T03:21:17","slug":"weekend-reads-fda-blocked-vaccine-findings-frankencitations-ravage-the-academic-countryside-publish-and-perish-retraction-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/949609\/","title":{"rendered":"Weekend reads: FDA blocked vaccine findings; \u2018Frankencitations Ravage the Academic Countryside\u2019; \u2018Publish and Perish\u2019 \u2013 Retraction Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/rw.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/rw-1024x768.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-128557\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">If your week flew by \u2014 we know ours did \u2014 catch up here with what you might have missed.<\/p>\n<p>The week at Retraction Watch featured:<\/p>\n<p>In case you missed <a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/2025\/12\/26\/retraction-watch-hijacked-journal-checker-now-has-400-entries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the news<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1ak985WGOgGbJRJbZFanoktAN_UFeExpE\/edit?gid=5255084#gid=5255084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hijacked Journal Checker<\/a> now has more than 400 entries. The <a href=\"https:\/\/gitlab.com\/crossref\/retraction-watch-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Retraction Watch Database<\/a> has over 64,000 retractions. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/retracted-coronavirus-covid-19-papers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">list of COVID-19 retractions<\/a> is up to 650, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/the-retraction-watch-mass-resignations-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mass resignations list<\/a> has more than 50 entries. We keep tabs on all this and more. If you value this work, please consider showing your support with a tax-deductible donation. Every dollar counts.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what was happening elsewhere (some of these items may be paywalled, metered access, or require free registration to read):<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cF.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/05\/05\/us\/politics\/fda-covid-vaccine-studies.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFrankencitations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/opinion\/columns\/just-visiting\/2026\/05\/06\/what-happens-when-fake-citations-layer-bs-bs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ravage the Academic Countryside<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cPublish and Perish: I\u2019m the editor in chief of a scientific journal. There\u2019s a disastrous imbalance happening with the <a href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/technology\/2026\/05\/science-peer-review-journals-retractions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">labor around manuscripts<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cCDC leader calls for new journal to \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/cdc-leader-calls-new-journal-elevate-scientific-rigor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">elevate scientific rigor<\/a>,&#8217;\u201d and \u201cslams vaccine study he pulled from agency\u2019s flagship publication.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Professor who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.estrepublicain.fr\/faits-divers-justice\/2026\/02\/15\/enquete-sur-une-imposture-l-histoire-abracadabrante-de-florent-montaclair-le-prof-de-litterature-qui-s-est-invente-un-prix-nobel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">awarded himself<\/a> a fake \u201cNobel Prize\u201d now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.fr\/france\/article\/il-s-etait-attribue-un-faux-nobel-de-langues-un-prof-d-universite-interdit-d-exercer_263421.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">banned from working in higher education<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Georgia prosecutor suspended for filing documents with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abajournal.com\/news\/article\/georgia-prosecutor-suspended-for-ai-use-by-state-supreme-court\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AI-generated citations<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAI Slop Is Flooding Academic Journals. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/johndrake\/2026\/04\/30\/ai-slop-is-flooding-academic-journals-a-top-journal-measured-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Top Journal Measured It<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFDA Claims \u2018Manipulated\u2019 Data Led to Drug\u2019s Approval, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medpagetoday.com\/rheumatology\/generalrheumatology\/121005\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Proposes Withdrawal<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>National funding agency in India \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/cities\/mumbai-news\/grant-applicants-must-disclose-paper-retractions-from-past-5-years-anrf-101777835102316.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mandates disclosure of research paper retractions<\/a> for grant applicants.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cCitations of Retracted Publications Should Be Discounted From One\u2019s Bibliometric Indicator,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/jkms.org\/DOIx.php?id=10.3346\/jkms.2026.41.e223\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">says researcher<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cNumber of Scientific Publications from EPA Authors Has <a href=\"https:\/\/eos.org\/research-and-developments\/number-of-scientific-publications-from-epa-authors-has-dropped-during-trump-administration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dropped During Trump Administration<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Absence of formal accountability structures \u201chas triggered comparisons of scientific sleuthing <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/spp\/advance-article-abstract\/doi\/10.1093\/scipol\/scag044\/8661413\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to vigilantism<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThere\u2019s Still <a href=\"https:\/\/absolutelymaybe.plos.org\/2026\/04\/29\/theres-still-too-much-uncertainty-about-conflict-of-interest-bias\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Too Much Uncertainty<\/a> about Conflict of Interest Bias.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDemanding peer review is associated with higher impact in published science,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2604.14047v1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">preprint finds<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMeet the academics <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-00508-w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">refusing to use generative AI<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cA Little-Known Lawsuit May <a href=\"https:\/\/jamesgmartin.center\/2026\/05\/a-little-known-lawsuit-may-weaken-university-ethics-boards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Weaken University Ethics Boards<\/a>.\u201d And \u201cHow institutional review boards <a href=\"https:\/\/goodscience.substack.com\/p\/how-institutional-review-boards-threaten\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">threaten groundbreaking research in higher ed<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cAI Conferences Should Embrace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.preprints.org\/manuscript\/202604.0797\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Submission Explosion via Autonomous Review Pipelines<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>After a news team exposed a DUI testing scandal at a forensics lab, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/abc7chicago.com\/post\/team-exposes-scandal-uic-drug-test-lab-marijuana-dui-cases-questions-grow-holding-labs-accountable\/18991617\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">questions grow over who\u2019s holding labs accountable<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cDoubts cast over \u2018wild\u2019 claim that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2524432-doubts-cast-over-wild-claim-that-magnetic-control-can-turn-on-genes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">magnetic control can turn on genes<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhy preprint servers are <a href=\"https:\/\/osf.io\/preprints\/metaarxiv\/mp6ky_v2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">increasing moderation<\/a> \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-01203-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">and what that means for researchers<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFailure is part and parcel of research, but discussing it sometimes seems to be taboo in science. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-01254-9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It doesn\u2019t need to be<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cOften, scientists are \u2018100% sure\u2019 of something, and anyone questioning that position is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41577-026-01306-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">treated as an idiot<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMetrics obsession is supplanting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeshighereducation.com\/opinion\/metrics-obsession-supplanting-academic-vision-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">academic vision in China<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cResponses to the AI grant flood must prioritize <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-01422-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fairness as part of excellence<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cConvicted former Harvard scientist rebuilds <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/convicted-former-harvard-scientist-rebuilds-brain-computer-lab-china-2026-04-30\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">brain computer lab in China<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFreely available GenAI tools are currently not able to detect, exclude, or appropriately flag <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jmir.org\/2026\/1\/e88766\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">retracted scientific literature<\/a>,\u201d finds <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2604.16872\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">yet<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/2025\/11\/19\/ai-unreliable-identifying-retracted-research-papers-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">another<\/a> study.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cPublish or Perish? A Content Analysis of Scholarship Criteria in R1 Academic Libraries\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/crl.acrl.org\/index.php\/crl\/article\/view\/27299\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Promotion and Tenure Documentation<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cThe field factor: Industry publishing contribution and <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0346227\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">novelty in science<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cMajor publishers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/boards-policy-regulation\/major-publishers-sue-meta-copyright-infringement-over-ai-training-2026-05-05\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sue Meta for copyright infringement<\/a> over AI training.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cWhy are so many scientific articles wrong <a href=\"https:\/\/thebulletin.org\/2026\/05\/why-are-so-many-scientific-articles-wrong-about-the-disease-i-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">about the disease I study<\/a>?\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cIllicit Use of AI by Philosophers <a href=\"https:\/\/dailynous.com\/2026\/04\/29\/illicit-use-ai-philosophers-refereeing-journals\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Refereeing for Journals<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cInside the Scientific Community\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-scientist.com\/inside-the-scientific-community-s-research-integrity-crisis-74391\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Research Integrity Crisis<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cModeling scientific uncertainty in language: Applied linguistic insights from human and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S277276612600025X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">artificial intelligence texts<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cResearchers already use AI\u2014it\u2019s time to agree on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchprofessionalnews.com\/rr-news-europe-views-of-europe-2026-5-researchers-already-use-ai-it-s-time-to-agree-on-how-to-use-it-responsibly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to use it responsibly<\/a>,\u201d says the research integrity director at Springer Nature.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFirst AI tool to detect suspicious peer reviews <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-026-01454-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rolled out by academic publisher<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Researchers say an astrophysics paper performed by AI was<a href=\"https:\/\/blankline.org\/newsroom\/ai-frb-paper-apj-halted\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> halted after three rounds of peer review<\/a> for lack of AI disclosure.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cHow academia fed my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/how-academia-fed-my-unhealthy-fixation-accolades\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">unhealthy fixation with accolades<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>\u201cNothing ever dies. It <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experimental-history.com\/p\/nothing-ever-dies-it-merely-becomes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">merely becomes embarrassing<\/a>.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Like Retraction Watch? You can make a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/paypal.com\/us\/fundraiser\/charity\/1909130\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tax-deductible contribution to support our work<\/a>, follow us\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/RetractionWatch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on X<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/retractionwatch.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bluesky<\/a>, like us\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Retraction-Watch\/119209094864356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on Facebook<\/a>, follow us <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/retractionwatch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on LinkedIn<\/a>, add us to your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/feed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RSS reader<\/a>, or subscribe to our\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/eepurl.com\/bNRlUn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">daily digest<\/a>. If you find a retraction that\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/retractiondatabase.org\/RetractionSearch.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">not in our database<\/a>, you can\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSeAsw4i5J8M7sOQ9GiG0_dglkim9gdPPba92yZRLfCq4u-o7w\/viewform?c=0&amp;w=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">let us know here<\/a>. For comments or feedback, email us at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/retractionwatch.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection\" class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"d0a4b5b1bd90a2b5a4a2b1b3a4b9bfbea7b1a4b3b8feb3bfbd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If your week flew by \u2014 we know ours did \u2014 catch up here with what you might&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":735265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[105,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-949609","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-uk","10":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116548134700629232","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=949609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/949609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=949609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=949609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=949609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}