Journal retracts all 23 articles in special issue

A journal retracted all 23 articles from a special issue due to concerns about a compromised peer review process. The retraction notice cited issues such as compromised editorial handling, inappropriate references, and being out of scope. The guest editor, Abbas Mardani, a highly cited researcher, did not respond to requests for comment. One co-author called the retraction a "social taboo," while another disagreed, blaming the publisher. The retracted papers, part of the issue "Prescriptive Analytics Using Machine Learning and Mathematical Programming for Sustainable Operations Research," were published between June 2022 and October 2023. The publisher, Springer, mentioned ongoing investigations and a commitment to publication integrity. This incident follows a previous retraction of 81 papers from another special issue. Authors expressed frustration over the lack of transparency and the consequences they faced due to the retraction. The journal did not provide details on how the concerns were raised or the investigation's findings.