2020 Volume 65 Issue 4 Pages 177-181
Metrics-centered evaluation of research activity has brought serious consequences for research integrity, such as research misconduct and questionable research practice in scholarly publishing. A rapid increase in the number of research papers has been accompanied by predatory publishing and fake paper factories, “paper mills”. Scrutiny by scientific journalism, such as Retraction Watch, post publication peer review systems, such as PubPeer, and plagiarism-detecting tools, in addition to allegations by individual researchers, counteract against recent unsound research practice. The pandemic of Covid-19 sheds light on flaws in the peer review system and the immature relationship between our society and scholarly publishing. Every player in the research community is increasingly responsible for the promotion of research integrity.
