Scientific journals are usually a source of reputable research and information, but recently thousands of fraudulent papers published in those journals have needed to be retracted. "The proportion of papers published in any given year that go on to be retracted — has more than tripled in the past decade," said Nature. Wiley, a 200-year-old publishing company, has retracted more than 11,300 compromised papers and closed four journals in the past two years. The company also announced it will be closing 19 others.
The fake scientific papers are mostly the work of paper mills, "businesses or individuals that, for a price, will list a scientist as an author of a wholly or partially fabricated paper," said The Wall Street Journal. The mills submit the papers and usually avoid "the most prestigious journals in favor of publications such as one-off special editions that might not undergo as thorough a review." Paper mills have been found in several countries, including Russia, Iran, Latvia, China and India.
Some journals have created more rigorous standards for publication and have also increased surveillance to spot fraudulent papers. The good news is that many fake science papers have telltale signs, like unusual wording to avoid plagiarism and listed references that are irrelevant to the paper's topic. However, the advancement of AI could throw a wrench in the progress. "Generative AI has just handed [paper mills] a winning lottery ticket," Kim Eggleton, head of peer review and research integrity at IOP Publishing, said to the Journal. | 
