Scientific Publishing Industry Faces Federal Scrutiny

"They've pledged to address concerns about bias, misinformation and access. In August, Bhattacharya wrote in a memo that part of his strategy to rebuild public trust in science will include focusing on "replicable, reproducible, and generalizable research" as "the basis for truth in biomedical science." The "publish or perish" culture, he added, "favors the promotion of only favorable results, and replication work is little valued or rewarded.&quot."

"While numerous experts Inside Higher Ed interviewed said some of the government's grievances about scientific publishing are real, they're skeptical that the solutions the HHS and NIH have proposed so far will yield meaningful reforms. And one warned that the Trump administration-which continues to promote misinformation about vaccines, among other things-is exploiting that reality to further its own ideological agenda."

Longstanding problems in academic publishing include research fraud, paper mills, shortages of qualified peer reviewers, and high subscription and open‑access fees. Those problems stem in part from academic incentive structures that reward high quantities of papers in widely cited journals. Recent federal actions have targeted the publishing industry, with officials changing policies and emphasizing replicable, reproducible, and generalizable research while criticizing a 'publish or perish' culture that undervalues replication. Many experts acknowledge real problems but remain skeptical that current government proposals will produce meaningful reforms and warn that critiques can be used for political ends.

Read at Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs