A recent report warns that the field of astronomy is increasingly vulnerable to scientific fraud, as criminal organizations profit from fake research and predatory journals. The authors of the report, led by Reese Richardson from Northwestern University, caution that if left unchecked, this issue could “poison” the entire body of scientific literature.
Currently, paper mills and predatory journals have mostly targeted fields like materials science and medical sciences, but space researchers are now becoming a prime target due to the growing economic priority of space research. This could lead to a significant increase in fraudulent publications, which could not only undermine the credibility of legitimate research but also train artificial intelligence (AI) on fake data.
The report highlights that one of the most exploited areas by paper mills is renewable energy, with many papers containing identical graphs and data. However, space and astronomy research has largely remained untouched by this problem, possibly due to a lack of familiarity among researchers with astronomical subjects or the fact that it’s not an easy subject to exploit for profit.
However, as the space industry grows in developing countries where paper mills are prevalent, this could change soon. To address this issue, the report recommends increased scrutiny on journal editorial processes, smarter methods for identifying fake papers, and a rethink of how the scientific community incentivizes science as a career.
The authors emphasize that time is running out to tackle this problem, as the consequences of inaction could be severe. If left unchecked, scientific literature could become completely “poisoned,” making it difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction, and ultimately undermining trust in the scientific community.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/is-astronomy-safe-from-organized-scientific-fraud