The role of validation & retraction in upholding scientific integrity

Rapid publication of results—particularly on pre-print servers—has grown dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has forced researchers, health care professionals, and journalists to grapple with the concept of reliable and actionable information.

The pandemic has given rise to more than 200 retractions at the time of this writing. Is that cause for concern?

My lens for this talk will be more than a decade of experience reporting on retractions for Retraction Watch, including creating the world’s most comprehensive database of retractions, with more than 32,000 and counting.