A new study Researchers at North Western University have alarmed about the future of academic research, and warned that the publication of fake science is increasing at a sharp rate compared to legitimate research.
Over the past four centuries, a contract has been set up between scientists and states: in exchange for creating useful knowledge for economic and social development, governments and other assistant researchers offer stable careers, good salaries and public identity. This model, like a commercial enterprise, has proved to be effective and has been copied to most parts of the world.
However, recent research published in the Journal Processings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveals that in recent years, the system has created researchers, educational institutions, government agencies, private companies and platforms.
The authors argue that due to the mass and specialization of modern science, the contribution of each actor is no longer evaluated for his work, but through quantitative indicators, such as the number of research articles published, articles to other research, university rating, or other awards.
The authors warned that “these indicators have become rapidly goals to measuring institutional and personal impacts, which have created unprecedented competition and growing inequality in the distribution of resources, privileges and rewards.”
As a result, the scientific community has led to the spread of fraud in some circles, as researchers find immediate ways to achieve success. “The use of numerical matrix to evaluate plans and professionals…, encourages shortcut search,” says Perry Pagdumnik, president of the Committee on Research Integrity in Catalonia in Spain. Types of fraud revealed that the creation of hypothetical research, misconduct, writings in papers and purchases and sale of references.
A mafia that threatens scientific integrity
Northwestern research suggests that fraud cases are often not isolated events, but rather the result of complex networks that work systematically to damage the integrity of science.
The research team behind this dissertation, headed by Louis, is an Ammar, a professor of engineering science and Mathematics in North Western’s MacCarmic School of Engineering, after analyzing back posts, editorial records, and photo copies.
Sources include large gatherings of scientific literature – such as scope, scopes, pubs/medals, and openings web, as well as violating quality or ethical standards, lists of jarrids removed from these databases. In addition, data from the research website Retection Watch, Science Paper Review Site Pubper, and the data of flagged articles were also collected through editorial metal (editor’s names and submission dates and acceptance dates).
This analysis highlights the work of “paper mill”-non-existent organizations that develop low-quality drafts and sell them, sometimes by mediators, to publish experts quickly. These papers often contain false data, manipulation or copyright images, content of the abyss, and even ridiculous or physically impossible. “These networks are primarily criminal organizations, working together to make the science process fake,” Ammar said in a statement published by North Western University.
