Case Study: IOP Publishing and GetFTR – Strengthening Discovery & Integrity

Accessing high-quality, trustworthy research should be effortless. But for many researchers, the path from discovery to the version of record is still full of hurdles including dead links, paywalls, unclear entitlements, and uncertainty around the reliability of sources. This leads to frustration, wasting time, and context switching

This is exactly the challenge IOP Publishing (IOPP) set out to address through its partnership with GetFTR. And with the release of IOPP’s latest case study, we now have a clear picture of the meaningful, measurable impact this collaboration is having on discovery, access, and research integrity.

Meeting Researchers Where Discovery Actually Happens

As we know, discovery rarely begins on a publisher’s own website. Researchers use a variety of  different research and discovery tools to find scholarly content. 

GetFTR helps make that journey more consistent. Wherever a platform has integrated GetFTR, or when a researcher has the GetFTR browser extension installed, entitlement and integrity signals appear automatically, giving users clear guidance on access and retractions.

• whether full text is available via subscription or open access
• which articles have retractions or updates
• through the GetFTR browser extension, are informed of license and can save to popular reference managers

This reduces the friction and uncertainty that often slow down research workflows.

As Matthew Keen, Product Manager for Access and Entitlement at IOPP, puts it:

“As a society publisher, we see it as our responsibility to reduce barriers to discovery and help researchers trust the content they use.”

Embedding Integrity Signals Where They Matter Most

A standout development in this case study is IOPP’s rollout of the GetFTR retraction and updates service across cited references on IOPscience.

This matters enormously.

Retractions and updates are often buried deep within metadata records or scattered across third-party sites. Surfacing these signals directly within the reference list allows researchers to avoid unreliable or outdated citations at the moment of discovery, not after they’ve downloaded, cited, or reused content.

IOPP also shares precise metadata with Crossref to ensure these alerts remain accurate and up to date, reinforcing confidence in the wider scholarly communications ecosystem.

From Discovery to Engagement: Measurable Impact

Between January and November 2025, GetFTR delivered:

• More than 100,000 clicks to IOPscience
• Outperforming Crossref referrals (96,236)
• Approaching Google Scholar’s engagement (205,185)

This shows that researchers have an appetite for streamlined, trustworthy links, and that GetFTR improves both the user experience and publisher visibility.

As Matthew Keen notes:

“GetFTR has achieved engagement levels on par with globally recognised academic discovery platforms… highlighting its value and potential for continued growth.”

A Model for Publisher Leadership

IOPP’s approach is a powerful example of how publishers can use GetFTR to:

• improve discovery on and off-platform
• remove friction from discovery and access journeys
• reinforce research integrity
• ensure their content competes effectively in an increasingly crowded discovery landscape

Crucially, it demonstrates the role of a society publisher reinvesting in its community, innovating not for profit, but for purpose.

As more publishers adopt GetFTR and more platforms surface entitlement and integrity signals, researchers will benefit from a consistent, trusted experience across the entire research workflow.

You can read the full IOPP case study here:
IOP Publishing and GetFTR: A Partnership Built on Trust and Discovery