Surge in number of 'productive' authors concerns scientists
Surge in number of ‘extremely productive’ authors concerns scientists

        

        
            
        
        
            
                
                    
                        

    
        
            
                NEWS
                11 December 2023
                
            

            

            
                
                
                    Some researchers publish a new paper every five days, on average. Data trackers suspect not all their manuscripts were produced through honest labour.
                
            
        
        
            
    
        
            
                
                    Gemma Conroy
                
                
                
                    
                
            
        
    

        
    
    


            
            


        
            
                
                    
                        

                        
                    
                
            

            
                

                

                
                    Up to four times more researchers pump out more than 60 papers a year than less than a decade ago1. Saudi Arabia and Thailand saw the sharpest uptick in the number of such scientists over the past few years, according to a preprint posted on bioRxiv on 24 November. The increase in these ‘extremely productive’ authors raises concerns that some researchers are resorting to dubious methods to publish extra papers.
                    
                        Access options
                        

                        
                            
                                
                                


                                
    
    Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription$29.99 / 30 dayscancel any timeSubscribe to this journalReceive 51 print issues and online access$199.00 per yearonly $3.90 per issueRent or buy this articlePrices vary by article typefrom$1.95to$39.95Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
  

    
    
        
    Additional access options:
    
        
            Log in
        
        
        
            Learn about institutional subscriptions
        
        
            Read our FAQs
        
        
            Contact customer support
        
    

    

                            
                        
                    
                
            
                Nature 625, 14-15 (2024)
                doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03865-y

            ReferencesIoannidis, J. P. A., Collins, T. A. & Baas, J. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.23.568476 (2023).Ioannidis, J. P. A., Klavans, R. & Boyack, K. W. Nature 561, 167–169 (2018).Article 
    PubMed 
    
                    Google Scholar 
                Download references
            
                
            

            
                Related Articles
                
    
        
            
                
                    
                        
                            
                        
                        Hundreds of extreme self-citing scientists revealed in new database
                    
                
            
        
            
                
                    
                        
                            
                        
                        Italy’s rise in research impact pinned on ‘citation doping’
                    
                
            
        
            
                
                    
                        
                            
                        
                        Thousands of scientists publish a paper every five days
                    
                
            
        
    

            

            
                Subjects
                
    

            
    Latest on:
    





            

        
            
                    
                
            
        

        

        
