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COSIG

@cosig.net
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The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides (COSIG) is a constantly-expanding resource for performing post-publication peer review. cosig.net

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Reposted by COSIG
Sholto David @sholtodavid.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
A tool used to rephrase plagiarised text changed "final solution" to "mass killing of an ethnic group" in a chemistry paper. Now retracted thanks to a PubPeer user who spotted this. pubpeer.com/publications...
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Dead Neanderthals @deadneanderthals.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
We published a new paper in the #CanadianJournalOfCardiology doi.org/10.1016/j.cj... We show that 57 of 201 included articles (28.4%) contain image-related or data-related issues. All these papers investigated microvascular injury after acute myocardial infarction in mouse, rat and pig models.
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Retraction Watch @retractionwatch.com · 18/06/2026
Retracted scientific papers cited on Wikipedia tend to linger for years, according to a study examining nearly 1,200 citations.
retractionwatch.com
Some Wikipedia citations to retracted papers persist for years, study finds
Retracted scientific papers cited on Wikipedia tend to linger on the popular website for years, according to a study examining nearly 1,200 citations.  The study’s authors, led by Ph.D. candid…
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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 11/06/2026
How can one learn to investigate the #integrity of published #scientific papers? This Community Page by @cosig.net, @reeserichardson.bsky.social, @solalpirelli.bsky.social presents COSIG, a collection of guides enabling anyone to perform forensic peer review 🧪#AcademicSky plos.io/43uZsbC
A diagram outlining the basics, general guides, and field-specific elements of forensic peer review under COSIG
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COSIG @cosig.net · 10/06/2026
"Investigating the integrity of published scientific papers is key to the scientific process, but the necessary knowledge is in short supply." Check the COSIG team's new Community Page article in @plosbiology.org ! doi.org/10.1371/jour...
doi.org
Introducing COSIG: The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Investigating the integrity of published scientific papers is key to the scientific process, but the necessary knowledge is in short supply. This Community Page presents COSIG, an open collection of m...
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Retraction Watch @retractionwatch.com · 10/06/2026
A Cochrane system for checking whether any of its thousands of published reviews include retracted studies has already turned up dozens of reviews that do and will now get closer scrutiny to ensure their results and recommendations hold up.
retractionwatch.com
New system for flagging retracted papers finds scores of them in Cochrane reviews
Cochrane has implemented a new system for checking whether any of its thousands of published reviews include retracted studies in their analyses, the organization announced today. The effort alread…
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COSIG @cosig.net · 04/06/2026
Today, COSIG and Sal Sleuthmander turn 1 year old! 🎂 Contributions to COSIG are the best birthday gifts we can ever receive, many thanks to all of our contributors 🎉
Sal Sleuthmander, a Chinese giant salamander, sports a conical birthday hat and gazes appreciatively over his cake with a 1 candle.
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Health Nerd @gidmk.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Haven't seen one of these in the wild in AGES. Scientific error-checking difficulty: very easy Why is this table definitely not real data?
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Crystal Lewis @cghlewis.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Issue 44 of #rdmweekly is out! 📬 Including: ➡️ psychds - R Package @mekline.bsky.social ➡️ READMEBuilder @eivimeycook.bsky.social ➡️ Citations to Retracted Papers @cosig.net ➡️ Data Curation as Data Literacy Education @mikalarae.bsky.social and more! rdmweekly.substack.com/p/rdm-weekly...
rdmweekly.substack.com
RDM Weekly - Issue 044
A weekly roundup of Research Data Management resources.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 07/05/2026
Sleuths face various legal risks but they can also use the law for their advantage. ⚖️ COSIG's newest guide, number 3️⃣5️⃣, covers legal considerations for taking part in forensic peer review. Read it here: osf.io/q3y7s
COSIG: The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Newest version available at cosig.net!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 05/05/2026
The COSIG team is at #WCRI2026 ! Our poster is up at station 120. We'll all be there today from 12:00 to 1:30; come stop by!
The COSIG team stands beaming in front of our poster
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NanoBubbles @nanobubbles.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
With the COSIG team, we are also presenting our poster on the 5th, number 120, come see some examples of problematic content in scientific papers and try to catch them! @cosig.net @solalpirelli.bsky.social @yaamurozturk.bsky.social @reeserichardson.bsky.social
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Elisabeth Bik @elisabethbik.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
SS: We see advertisements for increasing your CV by writing Mendelian Randomization papers based on a simple tool, and we tested that LLMs can easily produce MR papers as well. These formulaic types of papers are also highlighted in the @cosig.net guidelines: osf.io/2kdez/files/... #WCRI2026
Slide with Mendelian randomization highlighted in COSIG integrity guides.
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Jack Wilkinson @jdwilko.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Can accommodate some more people at this Introduction to INSPECT-SR workshop tomorrow (April 30th). Book here or email/ message me directly: www.trybooking.com/uk/GATM It says (N America) because the time was chosen for that region, but all welcome
trybooking.com
INSPECT-SR Training Workshop April (N America)
An introductory 2-hour online workshop will introduce participants to the INSPECT-SR tool for assessing trustworthiness of randomised controlled...
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COSIG @cosig.net · 05/04/2026
Happy Easter from Sal Sleuthmander and the COSIG team! 🐣🐰🪺
Sal Sleuthmander (a floppy Chinese Giant Salamander) were a pink polkadot deerstalker, wields a pink magnifying glass, and stands next to a basket of eggs
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Elisabeth Bik @elisabethbik.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
I will be giving a BitesizeBio Webinar on Monday March 23 (5 pm UK time / 1 pm ET / 10 am PT). Title: "How to Find Errors and Misconduct in Biomedical Papers". Topics: sleuthing, @pubpeer.com, @cosig.net Register here: events.bitesizebio.com/how-to-find-...
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COSIG @cosig.net · 11/03/2026
Do you know what to do when a study you have cited gets retracted? COSIG's entry on Citations to Retracted Publications has been updated with what to do in this situation. Read all about it: osf.io/9q3as
COSIG: The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Newest version available at cosig.net!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 09/03/2026
Pseudoreplication is the practice of treating non-independent observations as if they were independent replicates. This can dramatically increase the rate of false positives. COSIG's newest entry covers how to spot them. Read it at osf.io/hyxvr COSIG 🎉now with 34 guides 🎉is available at cosig.net.
cosig.net
COSIG
The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
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Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
@sjmelchor.bsky.social writes for @nature.com about how to spot dubious papers, interviewing @elisabethbik.bsky.social, @abalkina.bsky.social, @jabyrnesci.bsky.social, myself and and my fellow @cosig.net maintainers @solalpirelli.bsky.social and Yagmur Ozturk! www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Five ways to spot when a paper is a fraud
Science sleuths share their common-sense tips for sniffing out fishy articles.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 20/02/2026
Stealth corrections happen when a publisher makes changes to a scientific article after its publication, without issuing any public notice. To learn more, check out the latest COSIG entry on Stealth Corrections! osf.io/34nj5 COSIG (33 guides and growing!) is available at cosig.net.
COSIG: The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Newest version available at cosig.net!
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Elisabeth Bik @elisabethbik.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
New blog post: UnEDXpected Peaks Thanks to @reeserichardson.bsky.social, for teaching me to spot Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy problems. @cosig.net guide: osf.io/2kdez/files/... 30+ papers from a group from Pakistan with wonky EDX plots. Read more: scienceintegritydigest.com/2026/02/09/u...
Figure 6 from a scientific paper showing very wobbly peaks
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COSIG @cosig.net · 02/02/2026
To make COSIG more discoverable for educators looking to develop course material on publication integrity and peer review, COSIG now has an entry in OER Commons! @oercommons.bsky.social #OER oercommons.org/courses/the-...
oercommons.org
The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides (COSIG)
COSIG is an openly licensed, continuously expanding repository of practical guides for performing post-publication peer review (PPPR). The resource is freely available at https://cosig.net. At the tim...
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Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Check out this feature on sleuthing by @jgro-the.bsky.social !
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COSIG @cosig.net · 01/01/2026
Happy New Year from Sal Sleuthmander and the COSIG team! Here's to doing lots of post-publication peer review in 2026 🎆🥂🔎
An inquisitive cartoon Chinese giant salamander wears a conical "2026" party hat. Multicolored fireworks explode in the background. He wields a magnifying glass and copy of COSIG.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 25/12/2025
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from COSIG's newly-named mascot, Sal Sleuthmander!
Sal Sleuthmander (a chinese giant salamander) looks curious and wet as he peers through a magnifying glass. He holds a copy of COSIG adorned with a red bow.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 17/12/2025
Last week, COSIG's team of maintainers finally got to meet up in person! @solalpirelli.bsky.social @reeserichardson.bsky.social
Solal, Yagmur and Reese stand in front of a Christmas tree and a staircase and smile at the camera.Yagmur reaches out to either side to grab Reese and Solal's heads and bring them into frame. All three are laughing but Yagmur is definitely having the most fun
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Nature @nature.com · 11/12/2025
Achal Agrawal realised how ingrained research misconduct had become, and resolved to do something about the issue He is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025 go.nature.com/3Yk3d0T
go.nature.com
This science sleuth revealed a retraction crisis at Indian universities
Achal Agrawal is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 07/12/2025
Are you keeping up with @abalkina.bsky.social's advent calendar? It is a great way to practice spotting publication integrity issues!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 05/12/2025
Congratulations to one of COSIG's first contributors, @elisabethbik.bsky.social !
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Anna Abalkina @abalkina.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
Happy Advent! !!!🎄✨ Welcome to a new edition of the Research Integrity Advent Calendar. Each day brings a small challenge: spot the problem, detect inconsistencies, and sharpen your skills. Enjoy the season and the daily puzzles! Day 1. papermills.tilda.ws/advent2025
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COSIG @cosig.net · 26/11/2025
This Thursday, COSIG maintainer @reeserichardson.bsky.social will be presenting on using COSIG to spot problematic papers! Registration details below.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 24/11/2025
Scientific articles often report data in tables. COSIG's latest guide covers methods to export these tables into a spreadsheet editor like Microsoft Excel! COSIG (32 guides and growing!) is available at cosig.net.
New guide: Extracting tabular data from an article

cosig.net
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COSIG @cosig.net · 19/11/2025
COSIG has a new mascot but he doesn't yet have a name! Any suggestions?
A mottled gray Chinese giant salamander wearing a deerstalker peers into a magnifying glass. He holds a copy of COSIG in his right hand (foot? limb? idk).
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COSIG @cosig.net · 16/11/2025
Check out the latest issue of REACH magazine from @sci-integrity.com, which features COSIG on page 42! www.sci-integrity.com/reach-octobe...
sci-integrity.com
REACH October-December 2025 | Science Integrity Alliance
REACH is a modern, interactive, and comprehensive digital magazine designed to meet the shared needs of all stakeholders in the research community.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 14/11/2025
The FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) is useful for identifying potential adverse events associated with drugs. However, its data is often exploited to produce articles reporting spurious drug risks. COSIG's entry on formulaic research now covers low-quality pharmacovigilance studies!
COSIG: The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Newest version available at cosig.net!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 17/10/2025
COSIG has a new landing page! Check it out at cosig.net. (Files for COSIG are still hosted on OSF!)
The new landing page for COSIG, available at cosig.net.

It reads:

Anyone can do post-publication peer review.
Anyone can be a steward of the scientific literature.
Anyone can do forensic metascience.
Anyone can sleuth.

However, investigating the integrity of the published scientific literature often requires domain-specific knowledge that not everyone will have. This open source project is a collection of guides written and maintained by publication integrity experts to distribute this domain-specific knowledge so that others can participate in post-publication peer review.

COSIG currently hosts 31 guides and was last updated on 25 September 2025. Guides can be downloaded as individual PDFs. A combined PDF with all guides included can be downloaded here.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 25/09/2025
What is a "calculation chain" file? How can I easily identify duplicated values in a table? COSIG's 31st guide is all about data forensics using Microsoft Excel! osf.io/bz725 As always, all guides are available at cosig.net.
COSIG: The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Newest version available at cosig.net!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 17/09/2025
Adjusting the black/white levels in an image can reveal inconsistencies barely perceptible to the naked eye. A 2018 article in Scientific Reports was just retracted as a result of several such inconsistencies. Check out COSIG's guide on software for image forensics here: osf.io/g23pf
Western blot gel images
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COSIG @cosig.net · 12/09/2025
Starting in 10 minutes!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 08/09/2025
This Friday, September 12, COSIG maintainer @reeserichardson.bsky.social will be participating in a panel discussion (16:00 CEST, 10:00 AM EDT) as part of the all-day event "Making Sense of Open Science" hosted by the Czech Academy of Sciences. Watch online! www.projekt-amulet.cz/index.php/en...
projekt-amulet.cz
Public Hearing on Open Science | Project AMULET
Making Sense of Open SciencePublic Hearing on the Principles and Practices of Data Management, Publishing Regimes, and Public Engagement in Science Location: Rooms 205 and 206, main building of the Cz...
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COSIG @cosig.net · 04/09/2025
Here we are!
Yagmur Ozturk and Reese Richardson stand in front of Yagmur's poster titled "Citation Context Analysis of Retracted Articles: Leveraging Retraction Reasons to Track Unreliability in the Citing Literature". They point to COSIG logo on the poster.
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COSIG @cosig.net · 03/09/2025
COSIG maintainers Reese Richardson and Yagmur Ozturk are at #PRC10 in Chicago! Come find us to talk about post-publication peer review!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 12/08/2025
Stocking the Librarian’s Publishing Integrity Toolkit The number of tools available to help library staff identify potential research misconduct is rapidly expanding. Here are some recommendations. By Matthew Goddard and Zachariah Motts katinamagazine.org/content/arti...
share.google
Stocking the Librarian’s Publishing Integrity Toolkit
The number of tools available to help library staff identify potential research misconduct is rapidly expanding. Here are some recommendations.
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Reese Richardson @reeserichardson.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Want to get involved finding problematic scientific articles? Check out the Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides at cosig.net! @cosig.net
cosig.net
Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
COSIG hosts accessible guides for performing post-publication peer review. Hosted on the Open Science Framework
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COSIG @cosig.net · 22/07/2025
One of the issues raised in this commentary is data leakage between the training set and the validation set. Check out COSIG's entry on data leakage here: osf.io/d8mzb
osf.io
OSF
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COSIG @cosig.net · 16/07/2025
On Monday, July 21 at @reeserichardson.bsky.social will be giving a talk about COSIG for Open Research Summer School, organized by @kingsioppn.bsky.social! Online attendance for all of Open Research Summer School is free! Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-resea...
eventbrite.co.uk
Open Research Summer School
Join us at the Open Research Summer School for a deep dive into the world of research - see you there on 21 to 25 July 2025 at 8:30 AM!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 10/07/2025
Our entry on reporting publication integrity issues to publishers has contact information to reach the publication integrity and publication ethics departments at most major scholarly publishers. Read here: osf.io/4edk2 All of COSIG is available at cosig.net!
Contact information for integrity/ethics teams at major publishers
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, Science, Science
Advances, etc.): science_data@aaas.org.
• American Chemical Society (ACS): Each journal usually has contact information
for a managing editor, usually at managing.editor@<journal-url>.org
• American Society for Microbiology: ethics.journals@asmusa.org
• British Medical Journal (BMJ): publication.ethics@bmj.com
• Elsevier (Elsevier, Cell Press, etc.): ethicsexpert@elsevier.com
• Frontiers: research.integrity@frontiersin.org
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE): pub-ethics@ieee.org
• Karger: publication.ethics@karger.com
• MDPI: publication.ethics@mdpi.com
• Oxford University Press: journals.ethics@oup.com
• PLOS: pub-ethics@plos.org
• Rockefeller University Press (Journal of Cell Biology, Life Science Alliance, etc.):
integrity@rupress.org
• Sage (Sage, Mary-Ann Liebert): publication_ethics@sagepub.com
• Springer Nature (Springer, Nature, BMC): ethics.reporting@springernature.com
• Taylor & Francis (Taylor & Francis, Dove Medical Press, CRC Press, Routledge):
ethics@tandf.co.uk
• Thieme: publishingethics@thieme.de
• Wiley (Wiley, Hindawi, FEBS Press): researchintegrity@wiley.com
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COSIG @cosig.net · 03/07/2025
A 2019 Cochrane systematic review on using lithium to treat acute mania confuses standard error (SE) with standard deviation (SD) for two studies included in a meta-analysis, resulting in an overestimation of overall effect size in that meta-analysis. See COSIG's guide on the topic: osf.io/hp4yd
A comparison of the original meta-analysis for Outcome 3 shown in https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004048.pub4 and a corrected meta-analysis. Created by Nanarchaea binnaburra on PubPeer: https://pubpeer.com/publications/16EA56FE44642BA4284D5B02694875
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COSIG @cosig.net · 02/07/2025
"Data leakage" occurs when a statistical or machine learning model has access to data it shouldn't during the training process. This can lead to severe overestimation of a model's predictive performance. Data leakage is the subject of COSIG's 30th guide! Read here: osf.io/d8mzb
COSIG: Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides
Newest version available at cosig.net!
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COSIG @cosig.net · 26/06/2025
A recent article on preventing solar cells from overheating using nanoparticles presents this TEM image. However, this image contains apparent duplications. Can you spot them? Answers in PubPeer thread below. See COSIG's guide on image duplication: osf.io/547re
A TEM image of nanoparticles immersed in a fluid. Two regions are circled and labeled SiO2 and Al2O3.
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