Consider This: Journal Retractions (Part 2) - What the High Retraction Rate Reveals

According to an analysis by the academic journal Nature, Malaysia is among the countries with the highest retraction rates of published academic research papers in 2023. The report exposes an alarming trend: For every 10,000 Malaysian research papers published, a staggering 17.2 were retracted. This figure stands three times higher than the global average—raising serious questions about the credibility and integrity of Malaysian academic research. Are these retractions for error corrections and honest mistakes, or does it point to systemic challenges in academia that demand urgent attention? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks to Dr Idlan Zakaria, Associate Professor with Birmingham Business School at the University of Birmingham in the UK. She was formerly the CEO of the Malaysian think tank The Centre.