Understanding scientific retractions in open access journals: patterns, causes, and post-retraction influence

Purpose This study aims to investigate open access retractions from 2010 to 2024. It aims to analyze the reasons for retraction, citation trends, geographical distribution and the journal impact factor of retracted papers. Design/Methodology/Approach The research uses bibliometric analysis of retracted open access articles indexed in Web of Science over a 15-year period (2010–2024). It examines trends in retraction volume, reasons for retraction, citation patterns before and after retraction, geographic origin of publications and the impact factor of associated journals. Findings The number of retracted articles surged significantly between 2022 and 2024 (n = 421). The primary reasons for retraction include data concerns, peer review issues, authorship conflicts and duplication, which together accounted for 89.22% of the retractions. Publications from Indian institutions made up 33.08%, while globally collaborated papers represented 66.92% of the retractions. Citation trends reflect a 46.30% overall decline, with domestic papers witnessing a sharper decrease (53.60%) compared to global publications (36.90%) post retraction. High-impact journals experienced a significant post-retraction citation decline of 57.50%. In addition, domestic publications were more commonly linked to journals with an impact factor. Originality/Value This study provides a comprehensive and updated analysis of open access retractions, highlighting geographic and collaborative patterns, citation dynamics and journal impact. It offers valuable insights into the integrity and influence of retracted research in the scholarly ecosystem.