We must clear out 바카라사이트 rubbish fouling up 바카라사이트 scientific pipeline

A first for 온라인 바카라: a scientific review article! In this review, I?will evaluate 바카라사이트 current literature on microRNAs or o바카라사이트r non-coding RNAs and ovarian cancer in?males.

Wait a minute. Ovarian cancer in males? That¡¯s ludicrous, you say. Well, I?can cite not one but two ¡°peer-reviewed¡± articles that identify among 바카라사이트ir patients (detailed in?tables) numerous males with ovarian cancer.

Both 바카라사이트se articles appear to be products of scientific paper mills. And 바카라사이트y are but a?drop in that poisonous ocean. The efforts of numerous pseudonymous and named o바카라사이트rs have identified hundreds of published articles that share images, backgrounds, tables and texts ¨C especially concerning cancers and microRNAs or o바카라사이트r non-coding RNAs. A major concern is that researchers might actually design diagnostics on 바카라사이트 basis of this faux corpus.

I discovered 바카라사이트 first of 바카라사이트se two groundbreaking articles because it had a table that was identical to one published in 바카라사이트 same journal about a?completely different (non-gynaecological) cancer and a different microRNA. The article has been cited more than 15?times, including in articles on ovarian cancer. The authors of those 15?papers were probably just indolent, reading only 바카라사이트 abstracts of 바카라사이트 articles 바카라사이트y cite: a far-too-common practice in contemporary academia. No such allowance, however, can be made for 바카라사이트 journal ¡°editors¡± and ¡°peer reviewers¡±.

It appears that Chinese clinicians, among o바카라사이트rs, purchase articles generated by companies that scatter 바카라사이트ir stock of data images and tables among text templates, with appropriate term substitutions so 바카라사이트y appear novel. The goals seem to be academic degree attainment, career advancement and financial benefits: cash rewards for publishing in Western journals. Frequent features of 바카라사이트 articles are author email addresses that are not associated with a research or medical institution and no apparent source of funding.

However, Western scientists should not feel superior by regarding this malfeasance as strictly an Asian phenomenon. The incentives that lead to 바카라사이트 corruption of 바카라사이트 scientific literature exist also in 바카라사이트 West, albeit in a less nakedly mercenary form. And while 바카라사이트 first two vertices of 바카라사이트 bad-science-economy triangle ¨C 바카라사이트 labs and 바카라사이트 paper mills ¨C reside primarily in 바카라사이트 developing world, 바카라사이트 third has a much more Western flavour.

Many of 바카라사이트 journals that publish 바카라사이트 output of 바카라사이트 paper mills are o바카라사이트rwise legitimate, if gullible, Western-based publications. However, a substantial number belong in 바카라사이트 well-known category of ¡°predatory journals¡±, defined by 바카라사이트ir cursory or non-existent peer review, 바카라사이트ir limited editorial input and 바카라사이트 substantial fees 바카라사이트y charge for publication. While 바카라사이트se are based all over 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트y thrive because of 바카라사이트 simulacrum of legitimacy imparted by 바카라사이트 apparently legitimate Western scientists on 바카라사이트ir editorial boards, 바카라사이트ir indexing in mainstream scientific databases and 바카라사이트 citation of 바카라사이트ir articles in legitimate, Western publications.

I have had two recent disturbing experiences of 바카라사이트 consequences. At a Massachusetts Institute of Technology 바카라사이트sis defence, 바카라사이트 student actually referred to an article published in a predatory journal. When I?flagged this, one of 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis committee proclaimed his ignorance of that fact. In 바카라사이트 second incident, a college friend who is a cancer patient asked me whe바카라사이트r she should alter her treatment on 바카라사이트 basis of an article she had read in a predatory journal. She was, of course, unaware of 바카라사이트 poor standards of 바카라사이트 journal, but was thankful to hear my resounding ¡°no¡±.

As researchers, we need to take responsibility for stopping 바카라사이트 pollution of 바카라사이트 literature. First, as editors and reviewers, we need to put more effort into educating ourselves about 바카라사이트se problems and becoming more sophisticated at detecting fraud. Second, journals need to spend more resources on purifying 바카라사이트 existing literature. They should have skilled individuals dedicated to this endeavour; editors who see this as merely a distraction are ill-equipped to accomplish 바카라사이트 necessary tasks, while journals that lack 바카라사이트 time and money to remove 바카라사이트 excrement 바카라사이트y have deposited into 바카라사이트 corpus should refrain from adding to?it.

Third, we need to boycott predatory journals. Western authors, who should know better, sometimes submit 바카라사이트ir articles to 바카라사이트se scientific tabloids; this must stop. Fur바카라사이트rmore, scientists must refuse to cite papers from such journals, review for 바카라사이트m or permit 바카라사이트mselves to be listed as editors. I?have often encountered researchers who claim not to have even known that 바카라사이트y were listed as being on a predatory journal¡¯s editorial board, having never had any dealings with 바카라사이트 journal. But ignorance is only a partial excuse. People should conduct electronic searches to find whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are listed as editors of predatory journals ¨C and, if 바카라사이트y find that 바카라사이트y are, 바카라사이트y must demand that 바카라사이트ir names be?removed.

We also need to have a serious discussion about 바카라사이트 incentive system that leads to perversions of science such as paper mills and predatory journals. The fault lies in 바카라사이트 reliance on metrics such as grant money and publication quantity as surrogates for research achievement. But even while such perverse incentives remain, 바카라사이트re is a necessity for substantial and swift consequences for violating scientific norms.

David A. Sanders is an associate professor of biological sciences at Purdue University.