Continued Visibility of COVID-19 Article Removals

Abstract

Objective The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has produced an unprecedented amount of scientific research as well as a high number of article retractions. Social and news media have been used to disseminate scientific research, and this can include retracted or withdrawn research. This risks the persistence of low-quality research and may contribute to controversial ideas or conspiracy theories. Methods We examined 34 retracted or withdrawn coronavirus disease 2019 articles using alternative metrics. Results These articles continued to receive social and news media mentions up to 180 days postremoval, although most mentions occurred within 30 days postremoval. Articles available on preprint servers accounted for 45.5% of total mentions. Conclusions A significant, positive correlation was observed among Scimago Journal Rank, Immediacy Index, and Journal Citation Index, and total article mentions.