I think the portion of fake or inadequate research articles is larger than the real and impactful ones. I often see people show off their Article achievements(Q1,Q2). I am not pro at this but I can find many wrong things in those that would render them useless or fake.
On the other hand, I try my best to produce impactful research, which is both tiresome and time-consuming.
I often feel pressured by those people as these fake things are counted as achievements. I have little to no achievement.
Is it me who is seeing this? or is it my mistake and their articles are that impactful?
There are some interesting publications on fake papers/articles, see https://www.researchgate.net/search.Search.html?query=fake+papers&type=publication and https://www.researchgate.net/search.Search.html?query=fake+articles&type=publication (e.g., How to fight fake papers, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382050121).
Saying that you can find things that are "wrong" in a paper is not the same as saying it is "fake." Yes, mistakes do occur, but peer review is still the best way that we have found to minimize them.
David L Morgan, Thank you for your reply, I understand your perspective and I believe that too however I often see authors knowingly contaminate different parts of methodology to increase performance, and those works are not reproducible yet published in Good journals.
Wolfgang R. Dick Thank you for your reply. I will look into those.
Good morning,
Thank you for this question, because I believe it raises two points.
First, pressure on researchers is significant. For example, Nature magazine published an article last fall saying 50% of researchers quit science within a decade (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03222-7)
Second, knowing the base rate of research fraud is important. A meta-analysis from 2021 in fraudulent research practices could be a starting point (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34189653/).
Base rates usually help me to understand my experience in context, especially with challenging feelings about my work.
Good luck!
Tobias Ryan
tobiasryan.com
Md Abdullah Al Kafi, your observation is not uncommon. The reality is that a significant portion of academic publications may lack depth or originality, yet they often receive recognition because the system values quantity over quality. It can be frustrating to see superficial work celebrated while truly impactful research takes time and effort.
However, this does not mean your perception is mistaken. Many scholars recognize the issue, and the presence of inadequate research does not diminish the value of your work. Producing meaningful research is a more challenging and time-consuming path, but it is also the one that leaves a lasting impact.
Rather than feeling pressured by those who chase easy recognition, stay committed to your principles. Authentic contributions may take longer to gain visibility, but they hold greater significance in the long run. Keep pushing forward—your dedication to quality will ultimately set you apart.
Bogus research papers are damaging scientific research, report finds
Reporting from the organization, Retraction Watch, has found that the world of research is being flooded with fake research papers. These undermine legitimate research, can impact funding and can erode public trust in science.
Host Sarah McCammon speaks to investigative journalist Frederik Joelving, contributing editor for Retraction Watch, for more...
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/08/21/fake-research-papers
There is high pressure to produce more papers — sometimes at the expense of quality...
Why Canada is ill-equipped to tackle the growing threat of fake science
A global surge in fake and low-quality research papers highlights cracks in the peer review process and universities’ oversight of their researchers...
"A leading academic integrity watchdog is calling for Canada to raise its academic standards around published research...
Dr. Ivan Oransky, the co-founder of Retraction Watch, a renowned research database that reports on retractions of scientific papers, says Canada needs better oversight of its academic research.
“When you have a system where universities are the ones investigating their own [researchers] — most people wouldn’t find that reasonable in corporate culture, and there are laws against that,” Oransky told Canadian Affairs in an interview.
“People have been very reluctant to treat scientific fraud like other fraud.”..."
https://www.canadianaffairs.news/2025/08/29/why-canada-is-ill-equipped-to-tackle-the-growing-threat-of-fake-science/
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