Trend form of retraction incidence in Nursing and Veterinary fields

Establish the appropriate temporal trend model for retraction incidence in the Nursing and Veterinary fields—specifically determine whether exponential growth applies or whether alternative trend forms better explain the limited-sample data from 1992 to 2021.

Background

Most fields show strong evidence for exponential growth in retraction incidence, but Nursing and Veterinary have limited sample sizes that preclude definitive model selection.

Clarifying the correct trend form in these subfields would refine incidence monitoring and inform targeted integrity interventions within health sciences.

References

Within the health sciences, the Nursing and Veterinary subfields have limited sample sizes. In these cases, the evidence for an exponential incidence is not definitive, and alternative trend forms cannot be ruled out.

— The Retraction Epidemic in Science Across Publishers, Fields, and Countries  (2604.02302 - Venturini et al., 2 Apr 2026) in Results, Domain and field heterogeneity