Controversy over a paper in favor of colonialism sparks calls for retraction

Denounced by some as “clickbait” and others as poor scholarship, a new article on the supposed benefits of Western colonialism has prompted calls for retraction. And while detractors are plentiful and pointed in their criticism, the debate and others like it has some wondering if retraction threatens to replace rebuttal as the standard academic response to unpopular research. “The offending article has brought widespread condemnation from scholars around the globe,” begins a petition...