Dark scientific mills: The work of scientists in crucial fields such as cancer research is being undermined by the growing infiltration of academic journals by fake research papers.

The infiltration of academic journals by fake research papers is undermining the work of scientists in crucial fields such as cancer research. Scientist "sleuths" are playing a crucial role in uncovering research fraud, leading to a sharp rise in article retractions in biomedicine. Factors driving the increase in fraud include pressure on researchers to publish more and the existence of paper mills that generate fake papers for a fee. The problem of fraudulent research is widespread and has serious implications for the scientific community, including the erosion of trust and wasted resources. Efforts are being made to address the issue, but more needs to be done to change the academic environment that prioritizes quantity over quality. [Extracted from the article]