Global Study Reveals Deep Fraud Problem in Mathematics Publishing
A new international study warns that fraud in mathematics publishing has reached an alarming level. The team, led by German mathematician Ilka Agricola, reviewed years of suspicious publishing practices. As a result, they uncovered coordinated efforts to manipulate research metrics and influence journal rankings.The group worked with the German Mathematical Society and the International Mathematical Union. Their findings appeared on arXiv and later in the Notices of the AMS. The report sparked strong debate within the global mathematics community.
How Metrics Fuel Misconduct
Today, many institutions judge research by numbers rather than real impact. For example, citation counts, publication totals, and journal impact factors often overshadow scientific value. Private companies create these metrics using secretive methods. In addition, some businesses now sell ways to game these systems for profit.These incentives push researchers to publish more, not better. Therefore, many papers add little value, contain errors, or serve only to raise rankings. The study even highlights an extreme example. In 2019, a major citation service ranked a Taiwanese university as a top mathematics institution, even though it had no math program.
The Rise of Megajournals
Another major concern involves megajournals. These publications accept large volumes of papers, often for a fee. As a result, they now produce more content than all reputable mathematics journals combined. Brokers also sell fake citations, prewritten papers, and inflated metrics.IMU Secretary General Prof. Christoph Sorger says this trend harms public trust in science. DMV President Prof. Jürg Kramer agrees and calls for major reforms. The study urges the academic world to replace flawed metrics with fair, transparent standards that support real scientific progress.
