Abstract

Retraction is a necessary method for correcting scientific texts and informing audiences about significant errors in scientific publications. In this context, the aim of the current study is to examine the characteristics of retracted publications in the robotics field indexed in the Web of Science. Using a quantitative approach and scientometric methods, some publication features were discussed such as publication trends of retracted documents based on the year, and common document types, funding agencies, and the most productive publishers and journals. Additionally, the significance of the relationship between the number of retracted documents and the bibliometric indices of each journal was measured using the Pearson test. According to the results obtained from 359 retracted publications in robotics, it is clear that in 2022, the highest number of retractions are seen. Moreover, a high percentage of documents funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China have been retracted. Top publishers, such as Hindawi Publishing Group, IEEE, and Sage, along with Applied Bionics and Biomechanics journal have the highest number of retracted documents in robotics. Additionally, the results indicate that the number of retracted documents in a journal has not significant relationship with journals bibliometric indicators. Most of these documents are published as journal articles. Therefore, based on the findings of this research, it is necessary for science policymakers to continue investigating other aspects of retracted documents in the field of robotics while preventing the publication of false or misleading data to avoid similar cases in the future.