A researcher in Turkey has lost seven papers about Islamic practices that he managed to publish in journals typically dedicated to childhood diseases.
Hüseyin Çaksen, of Necmettin Erbakan University, published the articles in the Journal of Pediatric Neurology, the Journal of Child Science, and the Journal of Pediatric Epilepsy, all Thieme titles. Feyza Çaksen is co-author of two.
The seven papers are:
- “The Importance of Religion, Spirituality, and Spiritual Care in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis,” published on May 22, 2023 in Journal of Pediatric Neurology
- “Hijab Protects Adolescent Girls and Women from Sexual Harassment,” published on May 26, 2023 in Journal of Pediatric Neurology
- “Islamic Psychology: Historical Notes from Herbert George Wells (1866–1946),” published on Nov. 16, 2022 in Journal of Pediatric Neurology
- “Marriage and Marital Fidelity in Interparental Relationship: A View from Religious Perspective,” published on May 4, 2023 in Journal of Child Science
- “The Role of Religious Coping in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit,” published on May 4, 2023 in Journal of Child Science
- “Ruqyah and Its Use among Patients with Cancer,” published on March 20, 2023 in Journal of Child Science
- “Neonatal Hypoglycemia: Oral Dextrose Gel and Tahneek Practice,” published in June 2023 in the Journal of Pediatric Epilepsy
All of the notices simply say the paper “has been retracted as it is lacking scientific base.” How that was missed in peer review is unclear.
The move came a day after Urartu Şeker, an academic in Ankara, Turkey, tweeted about some of the work:
That was followed by story about the articles in news outlet duvaR.English, which noted that Çaksen had also published “The Sacrifice of Ismail by His Father Ibrahim (Alayhi As-Salam): An Example of Surrender for Today’s Children and Parents,” in the Journal of Pediatric Neurology.
Neither Çaksen nor S. Burak Açıkel, the editor in chief of the journal, has responded to multiple requests for comment over the past several days.
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