Retractions associated with Kazakhstani institutes in 2024/2025: Lessons for medical researchers in Kazakhstan

Medical researchers in Kazakhstan, empowered by a publication-based rewards system, may be tempted to engage in unethical behavior in order to achieve success. A recent (DOI: 10.1007/s10805-025-09624-0) assessment of 36 Scopus-indexed retractions from 2013–2023, peaking in 2016–2019, revealed that the most frequent cause of retractions was fake peer review, although some papers were also retracted due to engagement with paper mills. In a bid to offer some continuity to that assessment, retractions of authors affiliated with Kazakhstani institutes were assessed using the Retraction Watch database for the January 2024 to April 2025 period. A total of 19 retractions were identified, nine each in Springer Nature and Wiley journals, and with seven retractions having the affiliation “Al-Farabi Kazakh National University”. The most common reason (89%) was compromised or manipulated peer review, while authors in 26% of retraction notices expressed disagreement with the retractions. Finally, almost two-thirds of emails listed for the corresponding authors were not institutional emails. Medical researchers in Kazakhstan would do well to appreciate the take-home message of this short analysis, noting that the risks of abuses of the publication process far outweigh any benefits that may have accrued as a result of deceptive practices.