Abstract:

Purposes To explore the bibliometric characteristics of retracted papers and their citing papers， assess the diffusion effects of citing retracted papers within citation chains， analyze whether academic misconduct can propagate through citation networks， and evaluate its potential impact on the scholarly community， providing insights for research output management and research integrity promotion. Methods Based on the retraction watch and openalex databases， over 50000 retracted papers and their citing papers were collected， resulting in a dataset of more than 600000 citing papers and over 1 million citation links. Using bibliometric methods， a systematic analysis was conducted from the perspectives of temporal evolution， team characteristics， national distribution， journal attributes， and citation features. Findings In recent years， the number of retracted papers has increased significantly， particularly in high-impact journals. The United States， China， and India are the main source countries of both retracted and citing papers. Moreover， papers that cite retracted works face a higher risk of retraction. Conclusions Retracted papers still exhibit sustained diffusion effects within academic networks， revealing gaps in citation norms and academic governance. It is recommended to establish real-time retraction labeling and citation warning mechanisms to curb the secondary dissemination of academic misconduct and maintain the robustness of the research integrity system.

Key words: Retracted papers, Citation analysis, Academic integrity, Research assessment

摘要：

目的 探讨撤稿论文及其施引论文的文献特征，评估引用撤稿论文在传播链中的扩散效应，分析学术不端论文的影响是否会通过引用网络传播，并评估撤稿论文对学术共同体的潜在冲击，为科研成果管理与科研诚信建设提供参考。 方法 基于Retraction Watch与Openalex数据库，收集5万余篇撤稿论文及其施引论文，构建了超过60万篇施引论文及其对应的100多万条引文关系数据，运用文献计量学方法，从时间演化、团队特征、国家分布、期刊属性、引用特征等维度开展系统分析。 结果 近年来，撤稿论文数量呈显著上升趋势，尤其在高影响力期刊中更为突出；美国、中国和印度是主要的撤稿及引用来源国；引用撤稿论文的论文面临更高撤稿风险。 结论 撤稿论文在学术网络中仍具有持续传播效应，反映科研引用规范与学术治理体系存在漏洞。建议建立实时更新的撤稿标识与引用预警机制，以遏制学术不端信息的二次扩散，维护科研诚信体系的稳健运行。

关键词: 撤稿论文, 引文分析, 学术诚信, 科研评价