Misconduct

• Retractions in Otolaryngology Publications
• The first case of a solitary peripheral adenopapilloma of the lung with a risk of cancer
• Advancing integrity in science: the imperative for AI-driven plagiarism detection in scientific writing
• Scientific integrity in the era of predatory journals: Insights from an editors in chief symposium
• A Scoping Review of Professionalism in Neurosurgery
• Publication retraction in spine surgery: a systematic review
• Threats to scholarly research integrity arising from paper mills: a rapid scoping review
• Credentialing, Certification, and Peer Review Essentials for the Neurosurgeon

Unacceptable or improper behavior, especially by an employee or professional person.

“Intentional misconduct” refers to deliberate wrongdoing or actions taken with knowledge of their illegality or potential harm. It is often contrasted with negligence, where harm results from carelessness rather than intentional wrongdoing.

Deliberate Action – The person or entity knowingly engages in wrongful conduct.

Awareness of Consequences – The individual understands that their actions are illegal, unethical, or harmful.

Intent to Harm or Deceive – The misconduct is carried out with the purpose of causing damage, gaining an unfair advantage, or deceiving others.

Legal and Ethical Violations – It often involves breaking laws, breaching contracts, or violating professional standards.

Corporate Fraud: A company falsifies financial reports to mislead investors.

Medical Malpractice: A doctor knowingly prescribes harmful treatments for personal gain.

Workplace Harassment: A manager deliberately mistreats an employee to force them to resign.

Environmental Violations: A business dumps toxic waste into a river despite knowing the environmental damage.

Sports Doping: An athlete knowingly uses banned substances to enhance performance.

Legal Consequences:

Intentional misconduct can lead to civil or criminal liability, including:

Lawsuits: Victims can sue for damages.

Fines and Penalties: Regulatory agencies may impose financial penalties.

Criminal Charges: Depending on the severity, it may lead to imprisonment.

see Scientific misconduct.

A scoping review of retracted articles published from January 1, 1974, through December 31, 2023, was carried out. Retraction data were obtained from the Crossref/Retraction Watch database and corresponding abstracts were retrieved from PubMed. Publication data were obtained from Scopus. All retracted articles related to ENT were identified. Articles from neurosurgery and ophthalmology were similarly retrieved for comparison. Articles withdrawn for routine updates, expressions of concern, reinstatements, and corrections were excluded. The data were obtained on December 3, 2024.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcomes were annual retraction rate (proportion of retracted articles per total published articles) and reasons for retraction (categorized as intentional data misconduct, intentional procedural misconduct, unintentional data errors, unintentional procedural errors, or unknown). Secondary measures included time from publication to retraction and comparisons with neurosurgery and ophthalmology retraction rates.

Of 481 215 ENT articles, 471 (0.10%) were retracted. Retractions increased over time, peaking in 2022 with a retraction rate of 0.42%. Among retracted ENT articles, the most common reasons were intentional data misconduct (233 [49.50%]) and intentional procedural misconduct (210 [44.60%]). Articles with first authors from China accounted for the largest share (243 [51.60%]) of these retractions. Basic science head and neck cancer research represented the largest subspecialty category (161 [34.20%]). The median (IQR) time to retraction was 21.8 (10.8-55.3) months.

This analysis found that retractions in ENT literature have increased over 5 decades, predominantly driven by intentional misconduct. These findings highlight the need for enhanced oversight, training, and editorial vigilance to maintain the integrity of ENT research and protect patient welfare ¹⁾