Miryam Naddaf in Nature:
Beatriz Ychussie’s career in mathematics seemed to be going really well. She worked at Roskilde University in Denmark where, in 2015 and 2016 alone, she published four papers on mathematical formulae for quantum particles, heat flow and geometry, and reviewed multiple manuscripts for reputable journals. But a few years later, her run of promising studies dried up. An investigation by the publisher of three of those papers found not only that the work was flawed, but that Ychussie didn’t even exist.
Her name is one of a network of 26 fictitious authors and reviewers that had infiltrated four mathematics journals belonging to the London-based publisher Springer Nature. These sham scholars were created by a paper mill, a company that manipulates peer reviews and sells fake research papers to researchers looking to boost their profile. By inventing a stable of fake scientists, paper mills can create a ready supply of publications and favourable peer reviews, ensuring that more of the mills’ submissions get published. This tactic increases their output and credibility for paying customers.
More here.
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