Ceramics journal pulls dozens of papers flagged for integrity concerns
A materials science journal has pulled 56 papers so far this year for transgressions including image overlap, concerns about data integrity and “suspicious” changes in authorship. Ceramics International began retracting the papers in July. More than 50 of the retractions were requested by an “impartial field expert acting in the role of an independent Publishing … Continue reading Ceramics…
Ceramics International, a materials science journal, has recently pulled 56 papers due to various integrity issues. This wave of retractions began in July this year. The majority of these retracted papers, 43 of them, were flagged by scientific sleuth Mu Yang who reached out to the journal's publisher, Elsevier, on April 23, 2025.
Yang, the director of the Mouse Neurobehavior Core at Columbia University, highlighted instances of image duplication and data integrity concerns in several papers. David Bimler, a retired psychologist identified as Smut Clyde, also expressed his concerns about the situation at Ceramics International. Of the retractions, seven were for corrigenda on papers that had previously been retracted, but six of those corrigenda were issued for a 2023 paper, both addressing figure errors.
Elsevier has acknowledged the retractions, but declined to comment on future actions. The researchers affected by these retractions were primarily from Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, India, and Saudi Arabia. Some of the retractions were linked to authors being added post-acceptance, possibly indicating authorship for sale. Bimler also noted the low editorial standards at the journal, stating that this issue is not limited to paper mills.
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