Citation cartels, ghost writing and fake peer-review: Fraud is causing a crisis in science — here's what we need to do to stop it

Scientist holding test tubes with illustration of money symbols and a sand timer on a blue background.

Academic fraud in science is becoming a big problem. For the integrity of our academic institutions and science itself, something must be done to discourage these shady practices.

The term "fraud" in an academic context has different connotations than the everyday use of the word — someone using deception to illegally gain a financial incentive. Scientific fraud sees the perpetrator gain academic acclaim through deceit, dishonesty and false representation.