Researchers reveal fake authorship slots cost $56 to $5,631 across seven paper mills
Updated
Updated · Retraction Watch · Apr 23
Researchers reveal fake authorship slots cost $56 to $5,631 across seven paper mills
4 articles · Updated · Retraction Watch · Apr 23
The BuyTheBy dataset compiles over 18,000 ads from paper mills in India, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan, collected between March 2020 and April 2026.
Some advertisements matched published papers, highlighting the challenge of tracking fraudulent authorship as the business adapts with AI. Prices and targeted journals vary by country, with IEEE and Springer Nature among those affected.
The dataset, though not comprehensive, offers a snapshot of a rapidly evolving industry. Experts warn that AI-driven paper mills outpace current corrective measures, complicating efforts by publishers and institutions to combat academic fraud.
Which academic fields are most compromised by the fake paper industry?
Why are senior academics, not just junior researchers, buying authorship on fake papers?
Can AI ever win the war against AI-generated research fraud?
Are paper mills a symptom of a fundamentally broken scientific publishing model?
What are the real-world consequences of basing policy on fabricated science?
How can universities reward researchers without forcing them to 'publish or perish'?