Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
6-2022
Document Type
Article
Citation
Committee on Publication Ethics and STM, June 2022
Version 1
English version
Abstract
Executive summary
The subject of paper mills is currently being widely discussed by many stakeholders across the research publishing landscape. This report aims to give an overview of this topic, to explain how paper mills work, why they work and what we can collectively do about it. We have also undertaken a study of data submitted from a variety of investigations by leading publishers to get a sense of the scale of the problem. This paper concludes that the submission of suspected fake research papers, also often associated with fake authorship, is growing and threatens to overwhelm the editorial processes of a significant number of journals. Interviews with a range of stakeholders including publishers, research investigators and Retraction Watch show a deep level of concern and a realization that all stakeholders need to work together across the scholarly communication process to find long term solutions. This paper therefore is a call to action to those working in this area to work together to tackle the problem along the whole publication process.
Contents
Executive summary with key recommendations
What is a paper mill?
How do they work?
What motivates authors to use them?
History
Where are we now?
The scale of the problem
Areas of concern and recommended actions
Conclusions
References
Additional reading
Acknowledgements
Included in
Intellectual Property Law Commons, Scholarly Communication Commons, Scholarly Publishing Commons
Comments
Copyright 2022, COPE and STM. Open access material
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0