What is a post-retraction citation?

A post-retraction citation occurs when a paper cites research that has already been retracted. This is problematic because it spreads potentially flawed or fraudulent findings. XeraRetractionTracker identifies these citations to help researchers avoid citing retracted work.

How many papers are in the retraction database?

XeraRetractionTracker contains over 65,000 retracted papers from the Retraction Watch database. The database is updated daily and includes retractions, corrections, expressions of concern, and reinstatements dating back to 1970.

Is XeraRetractionTracker open access?

Yes, XeraRetractionTracker provides open access to all features. You can search papers, track citations, export data, and use all analytics without registration. We believe research integrity tools should be accessible to the academic community.

How do I check if a paper has been retracted?

Enter the paper title, DOI, or author name in our search bar. The database will show if the paper has been retracted, the reason for retraction, and how many papers have cited it since retraction.

What data sources does XeraRetractionTracker use?

We aggregate data from Retraction Watch (the most comprehensive retraction database), OpenAlex (for citation data), and our own analysis of post-retraction citation patterns. Data is updated daily.

API Documentation

Complete REST API reference for XeraRetractionTracker. Access retracted papers, citation data, analytics, and democracy analysis programmatically.

API Version

API Overview

The XeraRetractionTracker API provides programmatic access to our comprehensive database of retracted scientific papers, citation analysis, and research integrity tools. All endpoints return JSON responses and support various query parameters for filtering and customization.

Key Features

65,000+ retracted papers from Retraction Watch database
Post-retraction citation tracking and analysis
Bayesian democracy analysis with statistical results
Real-time analytics and trend data
Advanced filtering with 15+ parameters
JSON and CSV export formats
Predatory journal risk assessment

Rate Limits

General Endpoints: 100 requests/minute per IP
Export Endpoints: 10 requests/minute per IP
Analytics Endpoints: 50 requests/minute per IP

Base URL: /api/v1

Authentication: Currently public (no API key required)

Response Format: JSON

API Endpoints

Papers

Access retracted paper data with advanced filtering and search capabilities

GET

List Papers

Get paginated list of retracted papers with optional filters

/api/v1/papers

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`page`	`integer`	Optional	Page number (default: 1)
`per_page`	`integer`	Optional	Items per page (default: 20, max: 100)
`search`	`string`	Optional	Full-text search query
`retraction_nature`	`string`	Optional	Filter by type: Retraction, Expression of Concern, Correction, Reinstatement
`journal`	`string`	Optional	Filter by journal name
`subject`	`string`	Optional	Filter by subject area
`country`	`string`	Optional	Filter by country
`year_from`	`integer`	Optional	Minimum retraction year
`year_to`	`integer`	Optional	Maximum retraction year
`sort_by`	`string`	Optional	Sort field: retraction_date, title, citation_count
`sort_order`	`string`	Optional	Sort order: asc, desc

GET

Get Paper Details

Get detailed information for a specific paper including citation summary

/api/v1/papers/{recordId}

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`recordId`	`string`	Required	Unique record ID of the paper

GET

Get Paper Citations

Get citations for a specific paper with timing analysis

/api/v1/papers/{recordId}/citations

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`recordId`	`string`	Required	Unique record ID of the paper
`page`	`integer`	Optional	Page number (default: 1)
`per_page`	`integer`	Optional	Items per page (default: 20)
`citation_type`	`string`	Optional	Filter: pre, post, same_day, all

GET

Get Filter Options

Get available filter values for journals, subjects, countries, etc.

/api/v1/papers/filter-options

Citations

Citation tracking and post-retraction analysis

GET

List Citations

Get all citations with filtering options

/api/v1/citations

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`page`	`integer`	Optional	Page number
`per_page`	`integer`	Optional	Items per page
`citation_type`	`string`	Optional	Filter: pre, post, same_day
`sort_by`	`string`	Optional	Sort by: days_after_retraction, citation_date, created_at
`sort_order`	`string`	Optional	Sort order: asc, desc

GET

Citation Summary

Get aggregated citation statistics

/api/v1/citations/summary

GET

Post-Retraction Citations

Get only post-retraction citations

/api/v1/citations/post-retraction

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`min_days`	`integer`	Optional	Minimum days after retraction
`page`	`integer`	Optional	Page number

GET

Recent Citations

Get recently added citations

/api/v1/citations/recent

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`page`	`integer`	Optional	Page number
`per_page`	`integer`	Optional	Items per page

Analytics

Statistical analysis and visualization data

GET

Analytics Summary

Get overall statistics dashboard data

/api/v1/analytics/summary

GET

Retraction Trends

Get retraction trends over time

/api/v1/analytics/trends

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`granularity`	`string`	Optional	Time granularity: year, quarter, month
`year_from`	`integer`	Optional	Start year
`year_to`	`integer`	Optional	End year

GET

Subject Distribution

Get retractions by subject area

/api/v1/analytics/subjects

GET

Country Distribution

Get retractions by country

/api/v1/analytics/countries

GET

Top Journals

Get journals with most retractions

/api/v1/analytics/journals

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`limit`	`integer`	Optional	Number of results (default: 10, max: 100)

GET

Retraction Reasons

Get distribution of retraction reasons

/api/v1/analytics/reasons

GET

World Map Data

Get geographic data with ISO3 country codes for map visualization

/api/v1/analytics/world-map

Democracy Analysis

Bayesian analysis of democracy and research integrity

GET

Overview

Get high-level democracy analysis summary

/api/v1/democracy/overview

GET

Democracy Effects

Get democracy effect on retraction rates

/api/v1/democracy/effects

GET

Scatter Plot Data

Get data for democracy vs retraction rate scatter plot

/api/v1/democracy/scatter

GET

Regional Analysis

Get regional breakdown of democracy data

/api/v1/democracy/regional

GET

Temporal Trends

Get temporal trends in democracy analysis

/api/v1/democracy/temporal

GET

Raw Data

Get raw country-year panel data

/api/v1/democracy/raw-data

GET

Methodology

Get methodology documentation

/api/v1/democracy/methodology

Search

Search and autocomplete functionality

GET

Autocomplete

Get search suggestions as user types

/api/v1/search/autocomplete

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`q`	`string`	Required	Search query (min 2 characters)
`limit`	`integer`	Optional	Number of suggestions (default: 10, max: 20)
`types`	`string`	Optional	Comma-separated types: title, journal, author, subject

GET

Advanced Search

Advanced search with field-specific queries

/api/v1/search/advanced

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`q`	`string`	Optional	General search query
`title`	`string`	Optional	Search in title
`author`	`string`	Optional	Search by author
`journal`	`string`	Optional	Search by journal
`doi`	`string`	Optional	Search by DOI

GET

Filter Options

Get available filter options with counts

/api/v1/search/filters

Export

Data export in various formats

GET

Export Papers

Export retracted papers data

/api/v1/export/papers

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`format`	`string`	Optional	Export format: json, csv (default: json)
`limit`	`integer`	Optional	Maximum records (default: 1000)
`retraction_nature`	`string`	Optional	Filter by retraction type
`journal`	`string`	Optional	Filter by journal

GET

Export Citations

Export citation data

/api/v1/export/citations

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`format`	`string`	Optional	Export format: json, csv

GET

Export Analytics

Export analytics data

/api/v1/export/analytics

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`format`	`string`	Optional	Export format: json, csv

Predatory Journals

Journal integrity and risk assessment

GET

Check Journal

Assess journal for predatory indicators

/api/v1/predatory/check

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`journal`	`string`	Required	Journal name to check
`publisher`	`string`	Optional	Publisher name

GET

High-Risk Journals

List journals with high retraction rates

/api/v1/predatory/high-risk

GET

Checklist

Get Think.Check.Submit checklist criteria

/api/v1/predatory/checklist

Code Examples

// Fetch retracted papers with JavaScript
async function getRetractedPapers() {
  const response = await fetch('/api/v1/papers?page=1&per_page=20');
  const data = await response.json();

  console.log(`Found ${data.total} papers`);
  data.items.forEach(paper => {
    console.log(paper.title);
  });

  return data;
}

// Search for papers by journal
async function searchByJournal(journalName) {
  const params = new URLSearchParams({
    journal: journalName,
    sort_by: 'retraction_date',
    sort_order: 'desc'
  });

  const response = await fetch(`/api/v1/papers?${params}`);
  return await response.json();
}

Support & Contact

Need help with the API? Have questions or feedback? We're here to help.

Documentation

Complete API reference available on this page

Email Support

a.sofimahmudi@gmail.com

API Version: v1 | Updated: January 2025

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