{
  "id": 6910876,
  "title": "Weekend reads: The afterlife of retracted articles; ADA denies it censored opinions; a ‘twisted phantasmagory’ of ghostwriting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/weekend-reads-the-afterlife-of-retracted-articles-ada-denies-it",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-12T10:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Retraction Watch",
    "slug": "retraction-watch",
    "url": "https://retractionwatch.com/2026/09/12/weekend-reads-the-afterlife-of-retracted-articles-ada-denies-it-censored-opinions-a-twisted-phantasmagory-of-ghostwriting/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Each week, Retraction Watch brings you news on retractions, misconduct, and other issues in academic publishing. In the latest edition, editors of an education journal used fake references in an editorial, researchers appealed a misconduct finding regarding studies of transgender youth, and PeerJ retracted a study that covertly observed tourists' reactions to snakes. The Hijacked Journal Checker now lists over 450 instances of this phenomenon, while the Retraction Watch Database exceeds 67,000 retractions. The organization's list of COVID-19 retractions is nearing 700, and the mass resignations list has grown to more than 50 entries.\n\nElsewhere, the American Disabilities Act (ADA) announced its review of members' expulsions, which has led to a boycott and criticism from its cofounders. A ghostwritten medical paper has been described as a \"twisted phantasmagory\" in the field of pain management. A former employee claims a medical institute misappropriated donor money and government funding, while a scientist working on Kratom legalisation has disclosed ties to Kratom lobbyists.\n\nIn Argentina, a journal exposed dishonest behavior in biomedical research with two case studies. Meanwhile, a Duke professor attempted to run for political office in Israel with the Pirate Party. Last week, he had to retract a paper following suspicions of data manipulation. A Romanian news outlet claimed that a third of a military officer's doctoral thesis contains plagiarism, and Tufts University found no misconduct in a scholar who fabricated citations.\n\nSouth Korea has revised its research misconduct act, imposing a 20-year ban from research projects for those found guilty. An Argentina-based website suggests that buying research papers on the black market is easy, while a billionaire funds an award for scholars who tell the truth. Wiley's research publishing revenue increased by 12% due to growth in open access and an acquisition of Emerald. The barrier to entry in biomedical publishing is now primarily financial, as researchers submit AI-generated papers to predatory journals, with researchers from African universities considering the establishment of locally relevant ranking systems.\n\nDermatology has witnessed a rapid rise in 'paper mill activity,' characterized by consistent deficiencies in research integrity, particularly data transparency and ethical oversight. The World Bank has prioritized reproducibility in research, leading to suspensions of research projects, such as a cancer research project at a Virginia university due to animal mistreatment. A data leak shut down a top research biobank, highlighting the lessons learned during the recovery process.\n\nFrance's National Center for Scientific Research warned that AI-driven fraud could cost French research institutions $232 million annually. A Bangladesh Prime Minister's daughter resigned from her position at the WHO after being accused of fraud, misrepresenting her academic credentials. The popular open-science platform DataLad has decided to stop hosting data and code due to funding concerns. A new online platform, PosterPresent, is designed to help conference posters reach a wider audience. Lastly, a humorous article proposes using Beatles lyrics to create catchy paper titles, while upcoming talks at MIT's Free Speech Alliance's 2026 Annual Conference address issues of free inquiry in STEM fields.",
  "summary": "If your week flew by — we know ours did — catch up here with what you might have missed. The week at Retraction Watch featured: In case you missed the news, the Hijacked Journal Checker now has more than 450 entries. The Retraction Watch Database has over 67,000 retractions. Our list of COVID-19 retractions … Continue reading Weekend reads: The afterlife of retracted articles; ADA denies it…",
  "key_points": [
    "American Disabilities Act reviews expulsions, sparking boycott",
    "Ghostwritten medical paper called 'twisted phantasmagory'",
    "South Korea imposes 20-year research misconduct ban"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}