Retraction Watch COI Study – Annotated Dataset and Variable Codebook (Excel File)

This dataset contains the structured data and variable codebook used in the study “Retraction and Correction of Scientific Articles Due to Conflicts of Interest: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Retraction Watch Database.” Data were extracted from the Retraction Watch Database (Version 1.0.8.0; ISSN 2692-465X), accessed on [November 19, 2024]. Records were included if they involved a retraction, correction, expression of concern, or reinstatement in which conflict of interest (CoI) was cited either as the sole reason or as one of multiple contributing factors. For each included article, the following variables were extracted and coded: type of editorial notice (retraction, correction, expression of concern, reinstatement); whether CoI was the sole or one of multiple reasons; additional reasons cited; original publication date; date of retraction or editorial notice; country of the corresponding author’s institution; article type (e.g., original research, review, clinical trial); scientific field or category; number of authors; number of affiliated institutions represented; and journal publisher. Where necessary, data were standardized for consistency (e.g., harmonization of country names and publisher identifiers, categorization of article types). Dates were formatted uniformly (MM/DD/YYYY).