How to check your reference list for retracted papers
Papers are retracted after publication for errors, misconduct or failed replication, and they keep being cited long afterwards because the retraction is easy to miss in a database search or a reference manager. Here is where retraction information lives, how to check a single reference, and how to check a whole bibliography before you submit.
Why retracted papers end up in reference lists
A retraction is published as a separate notice, often months or years after the original article. Copies of the paper saved in your reference manager, shared PDFs and older review articles do not change when that happens, so a paper you read in good faith two years ago may since have been withdrawn.
Citing a retracted paper is not always wrong: you may be discussing the retraction itself. What examiners and editors object to is citing it as if its findings still stand.
Where retraction information is recorded
- The publisher’s page for the article, which usually carries a banner or a linked retraction notice.
- Crossref, which links retraction and correction notices to the original DOI and has included the Retraction Watch database since 2023.
- OpenAlex, which marks works it knows to be retracted.
- Reference managers such as Zotero, which can warn about retracted items in your library when that feature is turned on.
Check a single reference
- 01Open the DOI
Go to https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI and look for a retraction banner, an expression of concern or a linked notice on the publisher page.
- 02Search for a notice
Search the exact title with the word "retraction". Notices usually repeat the original title.
- 03Check the version you cite
A preprint can stay online after the journal version is retracted. Make sure the version you cite and its status match.
- 04Decide what to do
Remove the citation, replace it with sound evidence for the same point, or keep it and state clearly that it was retracted if the retraction is part of your argument.
Check a whole bibliography
Checking each DOI by hand is slow for a thesis with a hundred or more references. An automated check resolves every DOI or title against Crossref and OpenAlex and reports the entries carrying a retraction flag, so you only open the ones that need attention.
Coverage is not complete in any single source: retractions of older papers, books and some regional journals can be missing. Treat a clean result as a strong first pass, and look up by hand any key reference your argument depends on.
When to run the check
- When you first build the literature review chapter.
- Before you send a draft to your supervisor or co-authors.
- Right before submission or thesis deposit, since new retractions appear every week.
Questions
Can I cite a retracted paper?
Yes, if you are discussing the retraction or the reasons for it, and you say clearly that the paper was retracted. Do not cite it as support for a finding.
Does Zotero detect retracted papers?
Zotero can warn you about retracted items in your library using Retraction Watch data. It only checks items stored in Zotero, so references typed directly into a document are not covered.
Is a correction the same as a retraction?
No. A correction (erratum) fixes part of a paper that otherwise stands. A retraction withdraws the paper. Check which one applies before deciding what to do.