CRPU’s position on unethical publishing practices, the so-called ‘paper mills’
The Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities states that the activities of so-called ‘paper mills ’* pose a serious threat to the integrity of scientific research.
The production and sale of publications undermines confidence in scientific results and the work of scientists. The funding of such work, which is often fraudulent or lacks scientific value, leads to the waste of public funds, the spread of misinformation and the setting of misguided research directions. These practices are profoundly unethical, contrary to the principles of academic integrity and harmful to both individual scientists and the scientific community as a whole. They must be vigorously condemned by promoting openness, transparency, high standards of scientific peer review and education in publication ethics.
In the processes of recruitment, staff appraisal, grant application or unit evaluation, particular attention should be paid to whether the presented scientific output is the result of unreliable practices.
prof. dr hab. Piotr Stepnowski, President of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Universities, Rector of the University of Gdańsk
*Paper mills’ or “publication factories” are organised entities or groups of individuals commissioned by dishonest scientists, for a fee, to produce scientific articles, often based on false research data and making unauthorised use of the work of other scientists. Using the services of ‘paper mills’ allows unethical scientists to increase the significance of their scientific output – publications appear in journals indexed in the most popular bibliometric databases.
For more on the issue of ‘paper mills’, see: Nauka w Polsce or Forum Akademickie.
Source: CRPU
Date of publication: 7.02.2025
Added by: M.J.
