Paper-mill detector put to the test in push to stamp out fake science

Online tools will help publishers detect fake research papers – Credit: Getty

Publishers are testing prototypes of automatic systems to flag submitted manuscripts bearing the hallmarks of paper mills — businesses that produce fake research papers.

The tools, which will eventually form part of an online integrity hub, are the result of a year-long collaboration between 24 publishers and scholarly analytics providers. Together, the companies are trying to stamp out the growing scourge of fabricated scientific articles.