China's Supreme People's Court is now tackling fraudulent paper mills, which sell poor-quality manuscripts and authorships. With previous governmental efforts largely failing, this guidance is seen as a significant move toward combating research misconduct. While some scholars believe this will have beneficial effects on research integrity, skepticism remains about the actual impact of these measures, especially given the popularity of paper mills in China. Experts express cautious optimism about the court's involvement in fostering a more equitable research environment, emphasizing its potential role in enforcing integrity.
"This is the first time the supreme court has issued guidance on paper mills and on scientific fraud," says Wang Fei, who studies research-integrity policy at Dalian University of Technology in China.
"Paper mills are very popular in China and there is a very huge business" involving them, says Gengyan Tang, who studies research integrity in China at the University of Calgary, Canada.
The guidelines issued by the supreme court are very important and signal that the courts will contribute to creating a fairer research ecosystem, says Yin.
Over the past decade, the Chinese government has issued regulations and policies to deter researchers from committing misconduct, including the use of paper mills.
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