Peer review is based on a simple principle: independent experts assess a piece of research objectively, without conflicts of interest involving the authors. However, peer review integrity is increasingly being challenged by fraudulent practices.
Manipulation Takes Several Forms
COPE regularly warns about a growing form of fraud. Authors may suggest fake reviewers themselves or create false email addresses to control the review of their own manuscripts.
• Suggested fake reviewers
Many submission systems allow authors to recommend potential reviewers. This feature has become an entry point for fraud. A fictitious identity or an email address controlled by the author may be enough to exploit the process.
• Reciprocal peer review rings
A group of researchers may recommend one another as reviewers for their respective manuscripts. This closed system effectively undermines the independence that peer review is supposed to guarantee.
• Insufficient oversight of special issues
Quality control may sometimes be less stringent for special issues managed by guest editors. This vulnerability is regularly exploited by paper mills seeking to publish multiple manuscripts quickly.
Why These Manipulations Are Difficult to Detect
Once a manuscript has been accepted on the basis of fabricated reviews, the problem may only become apparent after publication. It is often uncovered during an investigation triggered by an external report. At that stage, retraction may be the only remaining option.
Warning Signs to Cross-Check Early
Some signals are not necessarily suspicious when considered individually. Their combination, however, should alert an editorial board:
- suggested reviewers with no verifiable institutional affiliation;
- unusually short review times for a complex manuscript;
- highly favorable but insubstantial review reports;
- an unusual concentration of manuscripts within the same special issue.
Peer Review Integrity Often Starts With the References
One connection is too often overlooked. Manuscripts involving peer review manipulation also show, in many documented cases, irregularities in their bibliographies. These may include fabricated references or circular citation patterns within the same group of authors.
Rigorous reference checking therefore does more than protect against citation fraud itself. It can also provide an early warning signal about the overall integrity of a manuscript. Combining systematic reference verification with careful scrutiny of reviewer selection helps secure two closely connected stages of the editorial process.
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