Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Springer Book on Machine Learning Accused of Fabricated Citations

2025-07-07

A $169 machine learning textbook, "Mastering Machine Learning," published by Springer Nature, has been accused of containing numerous fabricated citations. An investigation revealed that two-thirds of 18 checked citations either didn't exist or had significant errors. Several researchers cited confirmed the works were fake or the citations contained substantial inaccuracies. This raises concerns about the reliability of large language model (LLM)-generated content and the regulation of AI tools in academic publishing. The publisher is investigating, but the incident highlights the challenges to academic integrity posed by AI-assisted writing.

Wiley Retracts 26 Papers from Environmental Toxicology Journal Due to Compromised Peer Review

2025-02-24

Wiley's Environmental Toxicology journal has retracted 26 papers due to compromised peer review processes. All authors are affiliated with Chinese universities, and many corresponding authors used non-standard email addresses, raising suspicions of paper mill involvement. Wiley stated that concerning peer review patterns were identified, and the investigation is ongoing. Some authors disagreed with the retractions, claiming they were not involved in the peer review process. This is not Wiley's first mass retraction; it highlights vulnerabilities in academic peer review and the serious issue of academic misconduct.

Mass Resignation of Editors at Journal of Human Evolution Protests Elsevier Changes

2024-12-28

Nearly all editors of the Journal of Human Evolution (JHE), an Elsevier publication, resigned en masse, protesting Elsevier's actions that they say undermine the journal's quality and integrity. Elsevier eliminated copyediting support, implemented AI editing that introduced errors into articles, and unilaterally controlled the editorial board's structure and compensation. High article processing charges, far exceeding comparable journals, further fueled the editors' discontent. This is the 20th mass resignation of journal editors since early 2023, raising concerns about the publishing industry's practices.