Committee on Publication and Ethics

The overall goal of the retraction process is to enforce academic integrity in scientific research and prevent the dissemination of erroneous or flawed data for the interests of readers, collaborators, and investigators who may otherwise cite these works. In 2009, the Committee on Publication and Ethics (COPE) published guidelines for journal editors regarding when certain articles should be considered for retraction. Among the reasons listed were plagiarism, the performance of unethical research, if findings were previously published elsewhere, or if there was clear evidence that the presented findings are unreliable, be it because of deliberate misconduct or honest experimental error ¹⁾

1: Sloekers JCT, Bos M, Hoogland G, Bastiaenen C, van Kuijk S, Theunissen M, Rijkers K, Dings J, Colon A, Rouhl RPW, Schijns OEMG. Assessing the effectiveness of perioperative s-ketamine on new-onset headache after resective epilepsy surgery (ESPAIN-trial): protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2019 Sep 3;9(8):e030580. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030580. PubMed PMID: 31481375; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6731791.

2: Piña-Fuentes D, Beudel M, Little S, Brown P, Oterdoom DLM, van Dijk JMC. Adaptive deep brain stimulation as advanced Parkinson's disease treatment (ADAPT study): protocol for a pseudo-randomised clinical study. BMJ Open. 2019 Jun 14;9(6):e029652. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029652. PubMed PMID: 31201193; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6575861.

3: Kowark A, Adam C, Ahrens J, Bajbouj M, Bollheimer C, Borowski M, Dodel R, Dolch M, Hachenberg T, Henzler D, Hildebrand F, Hilgers RD, Hoeft A, Isfort S, Kienbaum P, Knobe M, Knuefermann P, Kranke P, Laufenberg-Feldmann R, Nau C, Neuman MD, Olotu C, Rex C, Rossaint R, Sanders RD, Schmidt R, Schneider F, Siebert H, Skorning M, Spies C, Vicent O, Wappler F, Wirtz DC, Wittmann M, Zacharowski K, Zarbock A, Coburn M; iHOPE study group. Improve hip fracture outcome in the elderly patient (iHOPE): a study protocol for a pragmatic, multicentre randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of spinal versus general anaesthesia. BMJ Open. 2018 Oct 18;8(10):e023609. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023609. PubMed PMID: 30341135; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6196806.

4: Connick P, De Angelis F, Parker RA, Plantone D, Doshi A, John N, Stutters J, MacManus D, Prados Carrasco F, Barkhof F, Ourselin S, Braisher M, Ross M, Cranswick G, Pavitt SH, Giovannoni G, Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott CA, Hawkins C, Sharrack B, Bastow R, Weir CJ, Stallard N, Chandran S, Chataway J; UK Multiple Sclerosis Society Clinical Trials Network. Multiple Sclerosis-Secondary Progressive Multi-Arm Randomisation Trial (MS-SMART): a multiarm phase IIb randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing the efficacy of three neuroprotective drugs in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. BMJ Open. 2018 Aug 30;8(8):e021944. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021944. PubMed PMID: 30166303; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6119433.

5: de Lotbiniere-Bassett MP, Riva-Cambrin J, McDonald PJ. Conflict of interest policies and disclosure requirements in neurosurgical journals. J Neurosurg. 2018 Aug 1:1-7. doi: 10.3171/2018.4.JNS172751. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PubMed PMID: 30117775.

6: De La Peña A, De La Peña-Brambila J, Pérez-De La Torre J, Ochoa M, Gallardo GJ. Low-cost customized cranioplasty using a 3D digital printing model: a case report. 3D Print Med. 2018;4(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s41205-018-0026-7. Epub 2018 Apr 12. PubMed PMID: 29782609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5954791.

7: Elzarief AA, Ibrahim MF. Long-term follow-up of motor function deterioration following microsurgical resection of middle third parasagittal and falx meningioma. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatr Neurosurg. 2018;54(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s41983-018-0013-3. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PubMed PMID: 29780229; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5954784.

8: Chang JB, Wu H, Wang H, Ma BT, Wang RZ, Wei JJ. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of neurosurgical patients at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2018 Mar 20;7:41. doi: 10.1186/s13756-018-0323-3. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 29568514; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5859784.

9: Guo W, Guo SC, Li M, Li LH, Qu Y. Successful treatment of extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis with polymyxin B and tigecycline- a case report. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2018 Feb 14;7:22. doi: 10.1186/s13756-018-0313-5. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 29456841; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5813425.

10: Radcliff K, Davis RJ, Hisey MS, Nunley PD, Hoffman GA, Jackson RJ, Bae HW, Albert T, Coric D. Long-term Evaluation of Cervical Disc Arthroplasty with the Mobi-C© Cervical Disc: A Randomized, Prospective, Multicenter Clinical Trial with Seven-Year Follow-up. Int J Spine Surg. 2017 Nov 28;11:31. doi: 10.14444/4031. eCollection 2017. PubMed PMID: 29372135; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5779239.

11: Koch KU, Tietze A, Aanerud J, Öettingen GV, Juul N, Sørensen JCH, Nikolajsen L, Østergaard L, Rasmussen M. Effect of ephedrine and phenylephrine on brain oxygenation and microcirculation in anaesthetised patients with cerebral tumours: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2017 Nov 17;7(11):e018560. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018560. PubMed PMID: 29151054; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5701991.

12: Ramirez C, Christophe V, Dassonneville C, Grynberg D. Caregivers' quality of life and psychological health in response to functional, cognitive, neuropsychiatric and social deficits of patients with brain tumour: protocol for a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2017 Oct 22;7(10):e016308. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016308. PubMed PMID: 29061609; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5665306.

13: Cui Q, Peng Y, Liu X, Jia B, Dong J, Han R. Effect of anesthesia depth on postoperative clinical outcome in patients with supratentorial tumor (DEPTH): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2017 Sep 11;7(9):e016521. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016521. PubMed PMID: 28899891; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5595190.

14: van Lieshout ECC, Visser-Meily JMA, Neggers SFW, van der Worp HB, Dijkhuizen RM. Brain stimulation for arm recovery after stroke (B-STARS): protocol for a randomised controlled trial in subacute stroke patients. BMJ Open. 2017 Aug 28;7(8):e016566. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016566. PubMed PMID: 28851789; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5629737.

15: Asher SL, Iserson KV, Merck LH; Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Ethics Committee (Aasim I. Padela, MD, MS, Chair). Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Statement on Plagiarism. Acad Emerg Med. 2017 Oct;24(10):1290-1292. doi: 10.1111/acem.13241. Epub 2017 Sep 18. PubMed PMID: 28628260.

16: Zwaans WA, le Mair LH, Scheltinga MR, Roumen RM. Spinal versus general anaesthesia in surgery for inguinodynia (SPINASIA trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials. 2017 Jan 14;18(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s13063-016-1746-x. PubMed PMID: 28088218; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5237574.

17: Saifee TA, Teodoro T, Erro R, Edwards MJ, Cordivari C. A Pilot Study of Botulinum Toxin for Jerky, Position-Specific, Upper Limb Action Tremor. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y). 2016 Sep 29;6:406. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27818844; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5093304.

18: Yang HS, Oh YM, Eun JP. Cervical Intradural Disc Herniation Causing Progressive Quadriparesis After Spinal Manipulation Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2016 Feb;95(6):e2797. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002797. Review. PubMed PMID: 26871842; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4753938.

19: Wall PD, Sprowson AP, Parsons N, Parsons H, Achten J, Balasubramanian S, Costa ML; Perioperative Analgesia for Knee Arthroplasty Collaborators. Protocol for a single-centre randomised controlled trial of multimodal periarticular anaesthetic infiltration versus single-agent femoral nerve blockade as analgesia for total knee arthroplasty: Perioperative Analgesia for Knee Arthroplasty (PAKA). BMJ Open. 2015 Dec 21;5(12):e009898. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009898. PubMed PMID: 26692559; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4691770.

20: Oh YM, Eun JP. Cardiovascular dysfunction due to sympathetic hypoactivity after complete cervical spinal cord injury: a case report and literature review. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Mar;94(12):e686. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000000686. Review. PubMed PMID: 25816041; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4554008.

21: Bründl E, Schödel P, Ullrich OW, Brawanski A, Schebesch KM. Surgical resection of sporadic and hereditary hemangioblastoma: Our 10-year experience and a literature review. Surg Neurol Int. 2014 Sep 22;5:138. doi: 10.4103/2152-7806.141469. eCollection 2014. Review. PubMed PMID: 25317353; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4192902.

22: Nerland US, Jakola AS, Solheim O, Weber C, Rao V, Lønne G, Solberg TK, Salvesen O, Carlsen SM, Nygaard OP, Gulati S. Comparative effectiveness of microdecompression and laminectomy for central lumbar spinal stenosis: study protocol for an observational study. BMJ Open. 2014 Mar 20;4(3):e004651. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004651. PubMed PMID: 24650809; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3963092.

23: Ter Laan M, van Dijk JM, Staal MJ, Elting JW. Electrical modulation of the sympathetic nervous system in order to augment cerebral blood flow: a protocol for an experimental study. BMJ Open. 2011 Jul 22;1(1):e000120. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000120. PubMed PMID: 22021767; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3191412.

24: Hänggi D, Eicker S, Beseoglu K, Behr J, Turowski B, Steiger HJ. A multimodal concept in patients after severe aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: results of a controlled single centre prospective randomized multimodal phase I/II trial on cerebral vasospasm. Cent Eur Neurosurg. 2009 May;70(2):61-7. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1087214. Epub 2009 May 25. PubMed PMID: 19711257.

25: Machado C, Korein J, Ferrer Y, Portela L, García Mde L, Chinchilla M, Machado Y, Machado Y, Manero JM. The Declaration of Sydney on human death. J Med Ethics. 2007 Dec;33(12):699-703. PubMed PMID: 18055899; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2598225.

26: Kansu E, Ruacan S. Research ethics and scientific misconduct in biomedical research. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2002;83:11-5. PubMed PMID: 12442615.