Comprehensive bibliometric analysis of characteristics, patterns, and causes of retractions in pediatric literature.

This study aimed to systematically identify the key characteristics of retracted articles in pediatric literature and explore the patterns and reasons of pediatric retraction from 1995 to 2024. We searched PubMed and Retraction Watch databases to identify all retracted publications in the field of pediatrics. After the screening process, data were extracted into Excel. Statistical analysis was conducted using Jamovi and Excel. A correlation matrix was used for the important retraction-related factors. After screening, 590 unique retracted pediatric articles were included, with most of them, 572 (96.9%), having retraction notices available; 516 (87.5%) published as open access; 433 (73.4%) from Asia-mostly China; 348 (59%) retracted by the publisher; 301 (51.0%) published by Hindawi; 275 (46.6%) observational studies; and 221 (37.5%) retracted due to misconduct. Articles with four authors showed the highest retraction rate, and the retraction rate generally decreased as the number of authors increased. Most retractions occurred in 2023. The most common pediatric age group included in the retracted papers was children. The median H-index of authors of retracted papers was 8 for first authors and 10 for senior authors. The median time from submission to acceptance of retracted papers was 50 days and that from publication to retraction was 15 months. Additionally, time to retraction was positively correlated with the journal's impact factor (r = 0.106, p = 0.015) and the citation count (r = 0.213, p < 0.001) but showed no significant correlation with time to acceptance (r = - 0.019, p = 0.675).

conclusionThe increasing number of retracted pediatric papers reflects a growing concern with a complex pattern and various determinants. Researchers and publishers should adopt strong regulations and guidelines to improve the integrity of scientific research, especially pediatric research. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Retractions in biomedical research have been increasing over the past decades, often due to research misconduct, plagiarism, or data fabrication. • Previous studies have analyzed retraction patterns across several medical specialties, but pediatric research remains underexplored despite its ethical and clinical sensitivity. WHAT IS NEW: • This is the most comprehensive analysis of retracted publications in pediatric literature, covering 590 articles from 1995 to 2024 and revealing distinct geographic, temporal, and publisher- and author-related patterns. • The study highlights a strong dominance of retractions from Asia-especially China-and shows that research misconduct and peer-review manipulation are the leading causes, underscoring the urgent need for stricter integrity measures in pediatric research.