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A Method for Improving the Integrity of Peer Review

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Abstract

Peer review is the most important aspect of reputable journals. Without it, we would be unsure about whether the material published was as valid and reliable as is possible. However, with the advent of the Internet, scientific literature has now become subject to a relatively new phenomenon: fake peer reviews. Some dishonest researchers have been manipulating the peer review process to publish what are often inferior papers. There are even papers that explain how to do it. This paper discusses one of those methods and how editors can defeat it by using a special review ID. This method is easy to understand and can be added to current peer review systems easily.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Mehdi Dadkhah

  2. WTLab, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Mohsen Kahani

  3. Progressive Science Institute, Box 5335, Berkeley, CA, 94705, USA

    Glenn Borchardt

Authors
  1. Mehdi Dadkhah
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  2. Mohsen Kahani
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  3. Glenn Borchardt
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Correspondence to Mehdi Dadkhah.

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Dadkhah, M., Kahani, M. & Borchardt, G. A Method for Improving the Integrity of Peer Review. Sci Eng Ethics 24, 1603–1610 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9960-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9960-9

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