The black market of publications in Peru: Paper mills and authorship for sale
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/leap.2014
SUMMARY: The black market for publications exists globally, including the purchase and sale of authorship in academic papers. In 2023, cases involving
paper mills and authorship commerce in Peru were exposed by mass media and television. In 2024, a report by the Peruvian Congress on alleged scientific fraud through the purchase and sale of scientific research revealed financial transactions of USD 3.05 million. In Peru, legislative changes are proposed to combat misconduct research practices, including authorship trafficking... (
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MIT says it no longer stands behind student's AI research paper
https://goodscience.substack.com/p/academic-culture-and-fraud
EXCERPT: I heard from other people last year that it was a breach of etiquette for me even to ask questions about the AI paper, because the undertone or implication might be that the paper could conceivably, possibly, maybe be fraudulent, and that was the worst possible thing you could ever even remotely hint at.
I disagree with that social norm. It should be completely normal to ask, "so how did you actually get this amazing data anyway?" In fact, we should ask that in EVERY study involving private companies (as well as public sources like IRS that are stingy with data), so that there's no implication that "you, in particular, are suspicious." (
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Predatory journal? How the publishing elite weaponise vocabulary
https://www.researchinformation.inf...ow-the-publishing-elite-weaponise-vocabulary/
EXCERPT: The more one looks into this debate, the clearer it becomes: “predatory” has become less a meaningful descriptor than a convenient label – used, often aggressively, by established actors to discredit newcomers and preserve their turf.
Yes,
predatory journals as described above do exist. However, the issue we now face is that these are increasingly – perhaps intentionally – conflated with legitimate, non-predatory journals. Those that seek to challenge the legacy, paywalled model of academic publishing
[...] No due process, no right of reply – just a branding iron. Label a journal “predatory,” and you can dismiss it entirely. No need to assess its editorial quality, its peer-review process, its indexing status, or its rejection rate. Suspicion alone is sufficient... (
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Knowledge under siege
https://www.deseret.com/magazine/2025/05/15/scientific-knowledge-is-under-siege/
EXCERPTS: But serious trouble lurks in the hallowed halls of science. The work of contemporary scientists is sometimes blemished by irreproducible studies, financially conflicted research and outright fraud. Scandalous instances of bad science — often spread through the proliferation of predatory journals — are surprisingly common.
[...] Some alarmists worry that without substantial reform, a tipping point could eventually come wherein “bad science” becomes so pervasive and politically polarized that the public loss of trust in the scientific enterprise leads to a “new dark age” of sorts.
[...] The taxonomy of bad science also includes “conflicted science,” where a scientist has a financial interest in the results of their research or in the content of their presentations made at medical conferences...
[...] Anonymous surveys of academics indicate that the temptation to engage in deceptive practices, presumably as a means of increasing one’s scholarly productivity, is powerful... (
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