Retractions are no longer rare, running at about 10,000 journal papers a year according to RetractionWatch, a most commendable blog that takes an interest in these things. A retracted paper is one that has been removed from the scientific record after publication because something is thought to be wrong with it. That much is clear enough; less clear is who – author, editor or publisher – has responsibility for deciding that something is amiss. Just occasionally, the author will seek a retraction, but usually the editor and publisher will work together when a problem arises and then initiate the retraction – sometimes with the author’s approval, more often without, and occasionally without even the author’s knowledge.