Charlotte Brontë authors a paper on pesticides: The role of forged authorship in predatory publishing

Instances of fraudulent or unscrupulous scholarly publishing activities, such as paper mills and predatory journals, have unfortunately increased in recent years. This includes the unauthorised reproduction of researchers’ work and unauthorised attribution of authorship or affiliation. These practices can result in researchers being the victims of academic identity theft, fraud, and research misconduct. 

Identity theft and its impact in scholarly publishing 

Retraction Watch often reports on cases of plagiarism, forged authorship, and other authorship issues in scholarly publishing. In one particularly bizarre case, a predatory journal published plagiarised scientific articles and attributed authorship to Charlotte Brontë and Walt Whitman. 

The same publisher has also falsely attributed the authorship of a stolen article to a University of Melbourne researcher, reinforcing that this issue is one that can hit close to home. 

The issues of forged authorship and plagiarism have spurred discourse in the academic community, including reporting in BMJ and Nature. They have also led to legal action, with academics falsely listed as authors and editors taking action against fraudulent publishers. 

Authorship fraud and identity theft are, among other things, breaches of The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018), as well as the University’s Authorship Policy (MPF1181). These both require that authors have (a) made significant intellectual or scholarly contribution to research and its output, and (b) have agree to be listed as an author.  

Predatory publishing – a spectrum of behaviours 

The fraudulent practices described above all fall to the extreme end of a spectrum of publisher behaviours.  

Challenging the popular conception of a binary distinction between “predatory” and “quality” publishers, we now recognise a spectrum of behaviours from the high risk and fraudulent, to the low risk and high quality.  

Resources from the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) and the UNESCO Open Science Toolkit outline some of the typical markers of high-risk, fraudulent practices, including: 

• Plagiarising content from reputable outlets; 
• Using researchers’ names without their permission; 
• Listing fake editorial or advisory boards; 
• Having poor or non-existent peer review; 
• Offering unrealistically rapid service; 
• Lying about their credentials (impact factors, indexing, etc.). 

But why would a journal or publisher engage in such unambiguously fraudulent behaviour?  

It’s likely intended to make them look like a quality scholarly publication so they can make money from open access publishing fees (Article Processing Charges, APCs). These fees may even be cheaper than those levied by major publishers, but the predatory operators will not undertake editorial review, peer review, copyediting, typesetting, dissemination, or indexing, as would be expected of a legitimate, quality publisher. Being associated with such a publisher can also damage one’s reputation. 

Steps you can take to protect your name and your work

The University of Melbourne’s reputation is grounded in our outstanding contributions to research. As world-class researchers, we also need to ensure we maintain and protect our reputations, which includes maintaining vigilance against predatory and unethical publishers. 

There are several practical things that researchers can do to protect their work and their reputations: 

1. Maintain accurate and up-to-date lists of your scholarly publications on your researcher profiles. This includes your publication records in Find an Expert, ORCID, and any other platforms you use, such as Google Scholar. Find out more on the Library’s Researcher profiles and identifiers guide or reach out to your discipline’s Liaison Librarians for assistance. 
2. Ensure your research data management practices are robust and your records are up to date. As Sammy Perez, Manager of Research Integrity Investigations at the University of Melbourne says: “I describe this as ‘keeping the receipts.’ Keep a record in writing of your work and what you agreed to. If an issue does arise, this makes it so much easier to manage a concern.” Data management tools can help with this record keeping, including tracking where research is used, and when and where it is cited. The University’s Research Data Management System Finder can help choose the most suitable data management tool for your needs, and the Library’s Digital Stewardship team can provide further advice and support. 
3. Know your rights and responsibilities. The Copyright Office provides some helpful advice on protecting your work through the use of copyright statements. Now might also be a good time to brush up on the University’s policies and resources concerning authorship, copyright, and research integrity, and read the Guide to Authorship that accompanies The Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018). 
4. Remain vigilant and carefully evaluate journals and publishers prior to submitting your work. Although everyone approaches risk differently, we recommend at least avoiding venues that display high-risk (fraudulent) or moderate-risk (low-quality) publishing practices. See the Library’s Scholarly publishing guide for advice on avoiding predatory, unethical, and low-quality publishers. You can also set up alerts to try to catch fraudulent uses of your name. 
5. Spread the word. Talk to your colleagues about predatory practices you encounter and encourage them to remain vigilant. Increasing awareness is always valuable, and your colleagues may have some helpful advice. 
6. Seek support when needed. Talk to others in your department or discipline about issues you face with predatory or unethical publishers and learn from their experiences. Should you find yourself victim of forged authorship or plagiarism, you can also reach out to the Research Integrity Team or the Copyright Office for advice. 

This article has been prepared by the Copyright, Scholarly Communications and Research Integrity Teams.