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href="/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/resources">Resources</a> <a href="/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/resources/research">Research</a></p> </div> <div class="hero__title"> <a id="main-content"></a> <h1 id="page-title">Paper mills research</h1> </div> <div class="hero__bottom"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="page-main"> <div class="page-main__row"> <div class="page-main__col"> <main> <section id="content" class="region region-content"> <div id="block-system-main" class="block block-system clearfix"> <div class="content"> <div id="node-55256" class="node-resource node node-resource "> <div class="node-resource__body"> <div class="sidebar sidebar--offset"> <div class="sidebar__body"> <div class="node-resource__fields"> <div class="field field--doi"> <span class="field-label">DOI:</span> <span class="field-item"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://doi.org/10.24318/jtbG8IHL">https://doi.org/10.24318/jtbG8IHL</a> </span> </div> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>COPE and STM undertook a study with Maverick Publishing Services, using data from publishers, to understand the scale of the problem of paper mills. The study also involved interviewing stakeholders - research investigators, publishers, and Retraction Watch. </p> <p>All stakeholders believe that the issue of paper mills is a real threat to the integrity of the scholarly record. Collective effort is needed because publishers are clear that they cannot solve this problem alone. A joint effort by publishers, funders and research institutions is needed.</p> <div id="file-997901" class="file file-document file-application-pdf"> <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/file/997901">Paper mills research report and recommendations</a></h2> <div class="content"> <div class="resource-download-inline"> <div class="resource-download-inline__container"> <div class="resource-download-inline__type"> Document </div> <div class="resource-download-inline__description"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/files/paper-mills-cope-stm-research-report.pdf" target="_blank">Paper mills research report and recommendations</a> <span class="resource-download-inline__meta">PDF 693 KB</span> </div> </div> <div class="resource-download-inline__shadow"> <div class="resource-download-inline__shadow__inner"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2>Key points</h2> <ul><li>Paper mills are the process by which manufactured manuscripts are submitted to a journal for a fee on behalf of researchers with the purpose of providing an easy publication for them, or to offer authorship for sale</li> <li>There is a pressure to publish for researchers and for some it is necessary to advance their career, and in some countries use of such services are perceived to be less unacceptable.</li> <li>Fake papers are being identified both during the submission process and after publication.</li> <li>There are indicators, usually a combination of factors, editorial staff can look out for during the submission process.</li> <li>Tools and processes are increasingly being used to identify paper mills.</li> <li>After publication concerns are raised by readers and following investigation, which can take some time, papers will be retracted.</li> <li>Research integrity teams are retracting multiple published fake articles.</li> <li>The submission of suspected fake research papers, which is often associated with fake authorship, is growing.</li> </ul><h2>Recommended actions</h2> <ul><li>A major education exercise is needed to ensure that Editors are aware of the problem of paper mills, and Editors/editorial staff are trained in identifying the fake papers.</li> <li>Continued investment in tools and systems to pick up suspect papers as they are submitted.</li> <li>Engagement with institutions and funders to review incentives for researchers to publish valid papers and not use services that will give quick but fake publication.</li> <li>Investigation of protocols that can be put in place to impede paper mills from succeeding in their goals.</li> <li>Review the retraction process to take account of the unique features of paper mill papers.</li> <li>Investigate how to ensure retraction notices are applied to all copies of a paper such as preprint servers and article repositories.</li> </ul><h3>Related resources</h3> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts/systematic-manipulation-publication-process">Systematic manipulation of the publication process</a> COPE guidance</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/resources/flowcharts/how-recognise-potential-manipulation-peer-review-process">How to recognise potential manipulation of the peer review process</a> COPE infographic</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://www.stm-assoc.org/stm-integrity-hub/">STM integrity hub</a> STM platform to identify suspect papers</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/resources/seminars-and-webinars/papermills">Authorship for sale: how do we deal with the growing problem of paper mills?</a> COPE seminar session 2021 (Members only)</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/publishing-manipulation-paper-mills">Systematic manipulation of the publishing process via paper mills</a> COPE Forum discussion, September 2020 </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/publishers-perspective-paper-mills">Potential paper mills and what to do about them – a publisher’s perspective</a> article, October 2020</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/retraction-guidelines">Retraction guidelines</a> COPE guidelines</li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220705103155/https://publicationethics.org/resources/forum-discussions/expressions-of-concern">Expressions of concern</a>, COPE Forum discussion, February 2018</li> </ul><p> </p> </div></div></div><div class="field field--classifications field--short"><div class="field-label">Core practices:</div><div class="item-list"><ul><li 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