Editorial warns: misuse of AI and metric-driven approaches undermine the reliability of scientific publishing

The reliability of scientific publishing is under a new kind of pressure as artificial intelligence becomes more common in research work, so-called mega-journals increase their publication volumes, and attempts are made to manipulate journal impact factors. This is the assessment of an international group of authors in their editorial, which addresses the preservation of scientific integrity—meaning the honesty and reliability of research.

The authors examine the phenomenon through the practices and incentives of scientific publishing. According to them, the main problem is that concurrent trends threaten the fundamental principles of science: objectivity, reproducibility, and transparency. Objectivity means that results do not bend to the wishes of the author or the publication system; reproducibility means that the same result can be achieved again; transparency means that methods and justifications are open to evaluation by others.

The editorial divides the threats into two groups. External pressures include the misuse of artificial intelligence and publication models based on metrics, where the logic of publishing is driven by, for example, journal impact factors. Internal, system-level problems are described as the "publish or perish" culture and the fragility of methods, which can weaken the quality of research.

According to the authors, mega-journals can improve accessibility and speed up the dissemination of results, but the high publication rate may simultaneously weaken the rigor of peer review—meaning independent expert evaluation. The authors propose a balanced approach as a solution to manage these pressures.

Source: Preserving scientific integrity in academic publishing: Navigating artificial intelligence, journal policies and the impact factor as a quality indicator, OpenAlex (AI + Society/Ethics/Culture).