"Tackling Science's Fake-Paper Problem: High-Profile Effort Targets Paper Mills"

A high-profile group of funders, academic publishers, and research organizations has launched an effort to address the problem of paper mills, which churn out fake or poor-quality journal papers and sell authorships. The group's five-point plan includes measures such as studying paper mills, improving author-verification methods, and supporting the development of tools to verify the identities of authors, editors, and reviewers. The initiative aims to improve education and awareness of the problem, conduct detailed research into paper mills, and ensure that groups across publishing communicate in tackling the issue.