irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $39KWRITE ARTICLES FOR OTHER NEWS OUTLETS
- #2 $157KCONTINUE TO UPDATE DATABASE OF RETRACTIONS FROM THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND PERFORM SCHOLARLY RESEARCH ON SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY ISSUES.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
COVID-19 Retraction Tracking
Ongoing project monitoring and reporting on retractions of papers related to the coronavirus pandemic, providing context and analysis on scientific integrity issues in rapidly published research.
Investigative Science Journalism
Produces in-depth articles and reports on systemic issues in scientific publishing, including peer review failures, data manipulation, and institutional responses to misconduct.
Retraction Watch Database
Comprehensive, searchable database tracking retracted scientific papers, including detailed reasons for retraction and investigative reporting on cases of research misconduct.
activities · 1 group
What they do
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Open Research Infrastructure & Publishing 5 activities
- Enables public reporting and discovery of retractionsProvides tools for the public to report previously unrecorded retractions and maintains a searchable database that powers alerts in reference management tools such as EndNote, LibKey, Papers, and Zotero. Also publishes lists of high-retraction researchers and supports external research through data sharing.
- Investigates scientific misconduct and peer review integrityConducts investigative reporting on scientific integrity issues, including allegations of peer review manipulation and flawed or fraudulent research, often in collaboration with publishers or other media outlets such as Science.
- Maintains and updates the Retraction Watch DatabaseOperates a publicly accessible database tracking retractions, expressions of concern, and corrections in scholarly literature, containing over 66,000 retracted scientific papers. The database is updated regularly and integrated with Crossref for open access via its data platform.
- Produces and distributes science integrity news contentOperates Retraction Watch, a blog active since August 2010, and produces a daily newsletter (Monday–Friday) along with a weekly Weekend Reads edition featuring news, analysis, and commentary on retractions and scientific integrity. Also writes articles published in external news outlets.
- Tracks retractions related to COVID-19 and hijacked journalsMaintains dynamic, publicly available lists of retracted or withdrawn COVID-19 research papers—tracking over 650 such retractions—and operates the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker, a resource identifying over 450 journal titles at risk of hijacking or operating deceptively.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$429K
Contributions & grants$252K59%
Program service revenue$160K37%
Investment income$17K4%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$407K
Program expenses96%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$386K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$460K
Cash$460K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$460K
Liquid reserves13.6 mo
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -19.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADAM MARCUS | SECRETARY | 20 | $11K |
board members · 8
- DAVID VAUX — DIRECTOR
- FERRIC FANG — DIRECTOR
- IVAN ORANSKY — PRESIDENT
- JASNA MARKOVAC — DIRECTOR
- MARY SIMMERLING — DIRECTOR
- MIGUEL ROIG — DIRECTOR
- RICHARD SMITH — DIRECTOR
- STEVEN SHAFER — DIRECTOR
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Association of Health Care Journalists Partner — Collaboration through leadership role as president from 2017 to 2021.
- COPE Partner — Engages with COPE officials regarding editorial and ethical concerns in academic publishing.
- Crossref Partner — Integrated the Retraction Watch Database into Crossref's system.
- Crossref Partner — Partners with Crossref to ensure open availability and public access to the Retraction Watch Database.
- EndNote Partner — Provides retraction data that powers alerts in EndNote.
- LibKey Partner — Provides retraction data that powers alerts in LibKey.
- New York University’s Carter Journalism Institute Partner — Distinguished Journalist In Residence role indicating institutional affiliation.
- Papers Partner — Provides retraction data that powers alerts in Papers.
- Retraction Watch Network — Center for Scientific Integrity operates Retraction Watch as a platform to report on retractions and research integrity issues.
- Retraction Watch Network — Center for Scientific Integrity operates Retraction Watch as its public-facing initiative.
- Retraction Watch Network — Operates the Retraction Watch website and database, which tracks retracted papers on coronavirus (COVID-19).
- Retraction Watch Partner — Partnered with Retraction Watch to create and maintain the Retraction Watch Hijacked Journal Checker.
- Science Partner — Collaborates with Retraction Watch on investigative reporting into scientific misconduct.
- Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program Partner — Teaching role in the program at New York University.
- Slate Partner — Co-founders published a column in Slate to comment on the relationship between retraction and scientific prestige.
- The Center For Scientific Integrity Government — Parent 501(c)3 organization of Retraction Watch that receives tax-deductible charitable contributions on its behalf.
- The Transmitter Partner — Editor in Chief affiliation indicating organizational partnership.
- Wiley Partner — Collaborates with publisher to investigate allegations of peer review misconduct.
- Zotero Partner — Provides retraction data that powers alerts in Zotero.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Crowdsourced and Whistleblower-Driven Monitoring of Scientific Integritymethodology: crowdsourced_data_collectionBy leveraging crowd-sourced reporting and sustained follow-up with whistleblowers, we identify and verify retractions and journal integrity issues not captured through formal channels, because public participation expands detection capacity and increases pressure on journals to correct the record accurately and transparently.
- Science Watchdog Journalism and Public Accountabilitymethodology: science-watchdog journalismBy using investigative journalism, media engagement, and satirical public commentary to highlight patterns in retractions and misconduct, we promote cultural and institutional change in scientific publishing, because public exposure creates reputational and systemic pressure that incentivizes higher standards of research integrity.
- Transparency Through Public Database and Infrastructure Integrationmethodology: transparency-through-databaseBy maintaining a comprehensive, open-access database of retractions and integrating this data into scholarly infrastructure and academic tools, we increase the visibility and accountability of retracted research, because systemic transparency deters misconduct and enables researchers, institutions, and publishers to make informed decisions about scientific validity.