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Some publishers say they are battling industrialized cheating. A Nature analysis examines the 'paper mill' problem — and how editors are trying to cope. Some publishers say they are battling industrialized cheating. A Nature analysis examines the 'paper mill' problem — and how editors are trying to cope.

Catalogue of billions of phrases from 107 million papers could ease computerized searching of the literature. Catalogue of billions of phrases from 107 million papers could ease computerized searching of the literature.

Make science more reliable by placing the burden of replicability on the community, not on individual laboratories. Make science more reliable by placing the burden of replicability on the community, not on individual laboratories.

Theories of scientific and technological change view discovery and invention as endogenous processes

Elisabeth Bik quit her job to spot errors in research papers — and has become the public face of image sleuthing. Elisabeth Bik quit her job to spot errors in research papers — and has become the public face of image sleuthing.

As co-signatories on a consensus statement released this week (see B. Morton et al. Anaesthesia doi: 10.1111/anae.15597; 2021), we call upon all scientific journals to adopt a similar system to promote fairness in author contribution assessments for research conducted in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs) by teams that include author(s) from institutions in high-income countries (HICs).\ud \ud The system consists of a structured reflexivity statement that asks authors to answer a series of open-ended questions that broadly follow established authorship criteria (see www.icmje.org). These help to ensure that LMIC researchers and other disadvantaged groups such as women and early-career researchers are properly represented.\ud \ud Progress in addressing such imbalances has been slow (A. I. Obasi Lancet 396, 651-653; 2020 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31536-1). For example, a fifth of papers on COVID-19 in Africa contain no African authors and, among those that do, HIC authors almost always occupy the coveted first and last positions (A. V. Naidoo et al. Br. Med. J. Glob Health 6, doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004612; 2021).\ud \ud Such reflexivity statements will encourage inclusive and open discussion of issues affecting equity, including capacity strengthening and research legacy in host countries.

As part of a misconduct crackdown, Chinese funders are penalizing researchers who commission sham journal articles from ‘paper mills’, but some say the measures still don’t go far enough. As part of a misconduct crackdown, Chinese funders are penalizing researchers who commission sham journal articles from ‘paper mills’, but some say the measures still don’t go far enough.

Some researchers have their manuscripts screened for errors before they go to journals. Some researchers have their manuscripts screened for errors before they go to journals.

Eight major publishers have issued joint guidelines for how journal editors can spot and deal with suspicious images or data. Eight major publishers have issued joint guidelines for how journal editors can spot and deal with suspicious images or data.

Findings hint at the importance of journal prestige for researchers referencing others’ work. Findings hint at the importance of journal prestige for researchers referencing others’ work.

Transparency in reporting benefits scientific communication on many levels. While specific needs and expectations vary across fields, the effective interpretation and use of research findings relies on the availability of core information about research materials, study design, data, and experimental and analytical methods. For preclinical research, transparency in reporting is a key focus in response to concerns of replication failure. The inconsistent reporting of key elements of experimental and analytical design, alongside ambiguous description of reagents and lack of access to underlying data and code, has been shown to impair replication (1) and raise doubt about the robustness of results (2, 3). In response to early concerns about replication of published results, funders, publishers, and other stakeholders have called for improvements in reporting transparency (4⇓⇓–7). Several initiatives ensued, including journal policies and joint efforts by journals, funders, and other stakeholders (8⇓–10). One of these initiatives, the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) guidelines (11), outlines a policy framework at the journal level that over 1,000 journals and publishers have adopted. The National Academies have focused on reproducibility and replicability* challenges through several recent initiatives leading to consensus reports, including Reproducibility and Replicability in Science (12), Open Science by Design: Realizing a Vision for 21st Century Research (13), and Fostering Integrity in Research (14). Each of these reports concludes that lack of reporting transparency is one factor which contributes to these systemic problems. Building on these findings, the National Academies convened a public workshop in September 2019 titled “Enhancing Scientific Reproducibility in Biomedical Research Through Transparent Reporting.” The workshop was designed to discuss the current state of transparency in reporting biomedical research and to explore the possibility of improving the harmonization of guidelines across journals and funding agencies. During this workshop, we provided … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed: Email: Malcolm.Macleod{at}ed.ac.uk (correspondence regarding the development and evaluation of the guideline) or mellor.david{at}gmail.com (for further information about implementation and stewardship). [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Measures to crack down harder on falsified work look good on paper, but critics say that enforcement will continue to be a problem. Measures to crack down harder on falsified work look good on paper, but critics say that enforcement will continue to be a problem.

A scientific editor’s tips for writing titles and abstracts to boost the readership of your manuscripts. A scientific editor’s tips for writing titles and abstracts to boost the readership of your manuscripts.

Hundreds of junk-science papers have been retracted from reputable journals after fraudsters used ‘special issues’ to manipulate the publication process. And the problem is growing. Hundreds of junk-science papers have been retracted from reputable journals after fraudsters used ‘special issues’ to manipulate the publication process. And the problem is growing.

Productivity coaches, boot camps and online meet-ups teach researchers to avoid distractions and negative thoughts to get their writing projects done. Productivity coaches, boot camps and online meet-ups teach researchers to avoid distractions and negative thoughts to get their writing projects done.

A giant data store quietly being built in India could free vast swathes of science for computer analysis — but is it legal? A giant data store quietly being built in India could free vast swathes of science for computer analysis —but is it legal?

Analysis reveals that strange turns of phrase may indicate foul play in science. Analysis reveals that strange turns of phrase may indicate foul play in science.

Anita Thapar’s research team faced a barrage of calls and e-mails, some of them hostile, following the publication of their paper on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Here’s what she learnt. Anita Thapar’s research team faced a barrage of calls and e-mails, some of them hostile, following the publication of their paper on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Here’s what she learnt.

Research papers and preprints are appearing every day as researchers worldwide respond to the outbreak. Research papers and preprints are appearing every day as researchers worldwide respond to the outbreak.

Papers are getting more rigorous, but progress is slower than some researchers would like. Papers are getting more rigorous, but progress is slower than some researchers would like.

We look back at a year of coronavirus discoveries. Hear the latest science from the coronavirus pandemic.

Search engine’s tool for summarizing studies promises easier skim-reading. Search engine’s tool for summarizing studies promises easier skim-reading.

Researchers say the complaint filed against Elisabeth Bik could have a ‘chilling effect’ on scholarly criticism. Researchers say the complaint filed against Elisabeth Bik could have a ‘chilling effect’ on scholarly criticism.

The nonsensical computer-generated articles, spotted years after the problem was first seen, could lead to a wave of retractions. The nonsensical computer-generated articles, spotted years after the problem was first seen, could lead to a wave of retractions.