Concept

Silently withdrawn or retracted preprints related to Covid-19 are a scholarly threat and a potential public health risk findings and suggestions

  • During the COVID-19 outbreak, preprints were especially popular among researchers because preprints can be published more quickly and freely online compared to traditional peer-reviewed papers that typically take between weeks to months to be published
  • The lack of peer-reviews and careful examination of the data and results collected have led to false information being spread more rapidly
  • Politicization of preprints, easier publication timeline, lack of a detailed screening, and pro-preprint lobbying are all potential explanations for increased use of preprints
  • Silent withdrawal of preprints does not stop the spread of false information or the continued citing of those retracted articles
  • Study suggests that guidelines need to be put in place to prevent further use of preprints to spread misinformation regarding COVID-19

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Updated 2021-02-11

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CSCW (Computer-supported cooperative work)

Computing Sciences