Characterizing Problematic Images in Retracted Scientific Articles

This cross-sectional study analyzed retracted articles flagged for problematic image manipulation (e.g., image duplication) in the Retraction Watch Database (56,716 entries as of October 4, 2024). We focused on entries containing the term image in the retraction reason (8002 entries) and further refined the dataset to those discussed on PubPeer (2078 after duplicate removal) to gain more detailed insights into the image problems. Data extracted included figure types (eg, microscopy, gel blot), the context of image misuse (eg, within-article, between-article), and the type of manipulation (e.g., duplication, splicing). The study highlights the prevalence of gel blot images and between-article image duplication in retracted articles, indicating a potential benefit from specialized tools to detect such issues.