Retraction Checker
Find recorded retractions and notice links using Crossref and Retraction Watch evidence. First 20 checks shared with Reference Checker are free.
Check a DOI or title
Paper extraction runs in your browser. Reference text and identifiers are sent to metadata providers through our server. Drafts, reviewed corrections and results are saved for this page in this tab; the allowance count is saved in your browser.
Write with traceable sources in AnswerThis
Find papers and write with linked sources. Review the evidence behind each claim. Opens in a new tab; copy your results first. Your paper and references do not transfer automatically.
Identify the exact paper before checking its status
Enter a DOI for the most precise match, or paste the full publication title. Retraction checking begins with publication identity: a notice about a different work with a similar title should not determine the status of your paper. If a title is ambiguous, use the DOI printed on the original publication. This page checks identifiers or titles; use Reference Checker to upload a paper and review its extracted bibliography.
A retraction is an event documented by a publisher or another source of retraction metadata. The tool looks for that recorded evidence; it does not assess a study’s data or decide whether it deserves retraction. Once a match is found, read the original work’s identity, the checked-source states and any notice link together. A single green or red label cannot supply all the context needed for a literature review.
Worked example: original article and retraction notice
The documented fixture uses original DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)11096-0 and retraction-notice DOI 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60175-4. In that fixture the original work is labelled Retracted, the evidence names Retraction Watch and the notice link identifies a separate publication. This is an illustrative known fixture, not a fresh lookup of current status. Check the original DOI and follow the notice before recording a decision about the source.
The original title in this example has more than one DOI candidate in title-search results, so a title-only request can require an Ambiguous match result. That ambiguity is a reason to supply the original DOI, not a reason to choose the first returned candidate. The original article, a republication and the retraction notice can be distinct records. Keep their identifiers separate so your notes make clear which object is being described.
What no recorded retraction actually means
“No recorded retraction” means no retraction was found in the available evidence for the matched work. If a result uses the shorter label “Not retracted,” read it with this same coverage limitation. It is not a guarantee of scientific validity, an assessment of research integrity or proof that every publisher update has reached the checked services. Read the paper and relevant publisher notices when deciding how to use it.
Retraction Watch data is distributed through Crossref, alongside publisher-supplied updates. Coverage and update timing can vary, and a missing record is narrower than proof that no notice exists anywhere. A failed provider request is Check unavailable, not a negative retraction finding. If evidence is incomplete, retain that uncertainty and retry or consult the publisher. A work can also have a correction or other notice that needs reading without being classified as a retracted original article.
Follow the notice and document the evidence
For a recorded retraction, compare the notice’s target with your original DOI and read the notice for its scope and stated reasons. Record the original work, notice identifier and the date you checked them in your review notes. A retracted work can be discussed as an object of analysis, but the retraction notice does not validate its original findings. Decisions about including or discussing it should be explicit in the research record.
Crossref, OpenAlex and PubMed supply publication-matching evidence; Crossref records supply the publisher and Retraction Watch updates inspected for retraction. This is metadata checking, without AI status generation or a full-text scientific review. Queries go through the server to metadata providers. The first 20 completed checks are free per browser, shared with Reference Checker. Opening AnswerThis starts a separate research session; copy the relevant result and notice links first.
Read each result with its evidence
- Found: a publication record matches the checked fields; this is not verification of the paper’s claims.
- Not found: no confident publication match. This does not prove fabrication.
- Retracted: a recorded retraction for the matched work. Read the linked notice.
- Details differ / Details do not match: review recognizable supplied fields against the matched record.
- Ambiguous match: more than one plausible work remains. Supply the original DOI.
- Check unavailable: a provider failed or evidence is unavailable. Retry without treating this as a negative finding.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a DOI or a title?
Use the original paper’s DOI when available. A full title can work, but similar or identical titles can produce several plausible records. An ambiguous result needs a DOI before the tool can safely attribute a retraction notice to the intended publication.
Can I upload a paper on this page?
No. This page accepts a DOI or publication title. Use Reference Checker for text-based paper uploads and bibliography extraction. Review the extracted list there before checking; uploading a document does not establish the retraction status or validity of every claim it contains.
Where does Retraction Watch evidence come from?
The checker reads retraction updates in Crossref metadata, including Retraction Watch data distributed through Crossref and publisher updates when available. The displayed evidence and notice link describe what was found. It is not a separate exhaustive search of every publisher’s website or every integrity notice.
Does no recorded retraction mean the paper is safe to cite?
It means no retraction was found in the available checked evidence. It does not establish validity, exclude other notices or guarantee complete coverage. Read the work, check relevant publisher updates and assess whether its evidence supports the claim you intend to make.
What if the check is unavailable or the paper is not found?
Keep the uncertainty visible. Check unavailable means evidence could not be obtained, while Not found means no confident publication match was returned. Neither is a clean retraction result. Verify the DOI, retry a temporary failure or consult the original publisher before recording a conclusion.
What should I do when a retraction is recorded?
Follow the notice and compare its target DOI with the original paper. Record the notice and your review date, and read the scope of the retraction before deciding how to discuss the work. Do not mistake the notice itself for a retracted article or treat a correction as the same event.
Is the retraction check free, and is input transferred?
The first 20 completed checks are free in this browser, shared with Reference Checker. Identifiers and title queries go through the server to metadata services. Copy useful evidence and notice links before continuing; the AnswerThis signup destination does not automatically receive your query, document or results.