Ahmad Sofi-Mahmudi

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Native features for notifying the researcher of the retractions on their references.

XeraRetractions web app: openscience.xera.ac/retractions

This unfortunate phenomenon has largely been due to a lack of connection between retraction data and reference managers. Zotero and Mendeley launched this initiative long ago, and fortunately, in July 2025, EndNote joined as well.

"Visfatin: a protein secreted by visceral fat that mimics the effects of insulin", published in Science in 2005 and retracted in October 2007, has the highest number of post-retraction citations, 1,321 out of 1,595 (~ 83%). The latest citation was from an article published in March 2025.

Based on my analyses of the @retractionwatch.com Database and citation data from @opencitations.bsky.social and @openalexix.bsky.social I found out that of one-third of citations to ~63K retracted articles occurred post-retraction. Precisely, 261,380 post-retraction citations.

Whereas retractions usually expose scandals in science, citations to retracted articles are a bigger scandal, especially when they are post-retraction.

XeraRetractions web app: openscience.xera.ac/retractions

Democratic status shows a negative association with scientific article retraction rates, although this association is complex and mediated by institutional factors. The findings suggest that while democratic societies may have lower rates of problematic research requiring retraction, they also demonstrate stronger institutional capacity for detecting and addressing research misconduct.

Among 167 countries, higher @TheEIU Democracy Index scores were associated w lower retraction rates (−0.46; 95% CrI, −0.59 - 0.32) after controlling for national research, freedom variables
@choxos.bsky.social @mcmasteruniversity.bsky.social @retractionwatch.com
More at prct.xeradb.com/demo...

Just published this Shinyapp on the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) guidelines implementation.
Developed it by vibe coding using Claude Sonnet 3.7.

App:
asofimahmudi.shinyapps.io/TOP-Guidelin...

Codes are here:
github.com/choxos/TOP-G...

I really like the work division between McMaster and Europe for developing network meta-analysis methods: Europeans have focused on developing statistical and quantitative aspects while McMaster has focused on subjective and philosophical parts.

Cochrane Reviews’ authorship has become more gender-diverse but remains geographically concentrated: A meta-research study - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology www.jclinepi.com/article/S089...

Well, that was new. But I will continue not to be a free laborer for a billion-dollar industry.

Besides, using proprietary software is against transparency, and science without transparency and accessibility is just an advertisement.