PubPeer
Post-publication peer review — where the community flags what the journals missed.
At a Glance
- Publisher
- The PubPeer Foundation (a nonprofit)
- Coverage
Community comments and critiques attached to millions of published papers, often surfacing image manipulation, statistical errors, and integrity concerns (verify current counts).
- Access
Free; browser extension and search.
- Free alternative
- It is free.
- Regional
Global.
Our Take
PubPeer is the internet’s post-publication peer-review layer — anonymous, evidence-based comments on published papers that have driven many high-profile corrections and retractions, especially around image duplication. For due diligence on a key paper, checking PubPeer (via the browser extension) can reveal concerns the journal never acted on. The trade-offs: comments are unverified and range from rigorous to noise, and not every flag is fair. Use it to stress-test a paper you’re about to rely on; weigh the evidence in each comment rather than treating a flag as a verdict.
Power Tips
- Install the extension so PubPeer flags appear as you read a paper.
- Before relying on a pivotal study, check whether it has unresolved PubPeer concerns.
- Read the actual comment evidence — a flag is a prompt to investigate, not a conviction.
Alternatives & Complements
Retraction Watch, Scite, Sciety, Semantic Scholar
Figures last verified: June 15, 2026