Journals are retracting more and more papers because they’re not by the authors they claim to be. We need better solutions to the problem, or we risk totally undermining public trust in research.
The practice of science involves trying to find things out about the world by using rigid logic and testing every assumption. Researchers then write up any important findings in papers and submit them for possible publication. After a peer-review process, in which other scientists check that the research is sound, journals publish papers for public consumption.
The question of how Artificial Intelligence will spell the doom of humanity has been a consuming topic of the movie industry and has consumed public consciousness. But, what hasn’t been considered is the risk bots and algorithms will undermine public confidence in science. When we stop believing the experts and scientists, we will be in deep trouble. This interesting piece discusses one area where this threat is manifesting.
You’d be wrong in expecting this, though. Real and good science does exist, but there’s a worrying amount of bogus research out there, too. And in the last few years, it has increased in volume at lightning speed, as evidenced by the skyrocketing number of paper retractions.
This process is similar to a recall at the grocery store. If a previously sold product is bad or dangerous for some reason, the store might decide to recall it and ask all customers not to use it. Similarly, a journal can recall a published paper that, in hindsight, turned out to be bogus.
