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Research into nicotine use by young Aussies and a study on an Eastern gray kangaroo pox virus have something in common.

Both papers were

—an uncommon but vital part of the research process.

Wait … what?

A is when a published scientific paper is deemed flawed or unreliable.

This means the research is no longer cited—effectively removing it from the scientific bookshelf.

In Australia, around

are retracted each year, most without fanfare. That's more than one retracted paper every day.

But when a retraction hits the headlines, like a on a popular exercise regime, it can prompt the public to question the science.

Something doesn't look right

Retractions typically fall under : misconduct, error and publication issues.

Misconduct includes plagiarism, fabrication or ethical misconduct. A 2024 was retracted after it was found to be AI-generated.

Error covers methodological concerns or honest mistakes. A on cardiac rehabilitation among veterans was retracted because it contained errors that, once corrected, changed some of the findings.

Publication issues can involve a publisher error, compromised peer review or author issues. For example, a on 5G and coronavirus was retracted due to "substantial manipulation of the peer review."

Retractions are usually initiated by , but not all scientific mistakes need complete removal.

It's all wrong! Or is it?

apply when only part of the research is flawed, and they help readers understand what's still reliable.

Corrections can also be issued—often as a result of genuine mistakes such as a recent correction by addressing the mishandling of a conflict of interest during the peer-review process.

To believe or not to believe

While a retraction might seem negative, it's actually science doing its job.

Retractions are for informing readers of issues, correcting the record and maintaining trust in research.

Science does not deal in . This is why retractions will continue to occur as researchers discover or disprove hypotheses.

After all, that's the beauty of science.

This article first appeared on , a science news website based at Scitech, Perth, Australia. Read the .