35 votes

Independent journalist uncovers a ring dedicated to publishing low quality articles and increasing publishing credits

Posted by boxer_dogs_dance
Tags: academia, publishing, fraud, investigation, journalists, author.jonathan moens, source.undark, long read
https://undark.org/2023/06/21/in-a-tipsters-note-a-view-of-science-publishings-achilles-heel/

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Title
In a Tipster's Note, a View of Science Publishing's Achilles Heel
Authors
Undark Magazine
Published
Jun 21 2023
Word count
3688 words

3 comments

  1. [2]
    kitschqueen
    Link
    This is disconcerting at best. The paper mill process described in this article has resulted in padded resumes that have led to prestigious jobs, as well as information that has diluted and...

    The products of paper mills and other low-quality work can also pose a direct risk to human health. One special issue on Covid-19 included a now-retracted article claiming that vaccines killed five times more people over the age of 65 than they saved. In a preprint article, scientists found that 3 to 4 percent of all DNA sequences assessed in two leading cancer journals were flawed, potentially due to paper mill activity. These included at least eight articles in two special collections. The consequences of such mistakes could range from benign unexplained results to potentially stalling progress on research of global concern — and not just for health care.

    This is disconcerting at best. The paper mill process described in this article has resulted in padded resumes that have led to prestigious jobs, as well as information that has diluted and potentially corrupted current and future research. It’s good to see measures that have been taken - article retractions in particular - but if profit continues to be the primary motivator for publications this problem won’t be going away.

    13 votes
    1. sparksbet
      Link Parent
      yeah in my mind this is the inevitable consequence of the profit motive of publishers combined with the publish-or-perish nature of academia. Both of these are perverse incentives and they...

      yeah in my mind this is the inevitable consequence of the profit motive of publishers combined with the publish-or-perish nature of academia. Both of these are perverse incentives and they inevitably result in these kinds of schemes imo.

      10 votes
  2. Pincushion
    Link
    Yes this has been known for a while and it used to be relegated to a few known publishers that did poor peer reviews but it spread from that. Even in ACS scifinder I've come across papers that we...

    Yes this has been known for a while and it used to be relegated to a few known publishers that did poor peer reviews but it spread from that. Even in ACS scifinder I've come across papers that we were not able to reproduce in the lab or just flat out did not make sense as written. I'm glad it's getting more attention.

    2 votes