KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers’ Research Identity Verification Framework aims to tackle fraudulent submissions, including from paper mills.
- The framework of layered identity checks for researchers, peer reviewers, and editors aims to raise obstacles to misconduct and enhance transparency, while maintaining inclusivity for all authentic researchers.
Research is facing an unprecedented integrity challenge, with sophisticated paper mills publishing poor-quality and fraudulent papers by unverifiable researchers and fake personas. To combat this issue, the International Association of Scientific, Technical & Medical Publishers (STM) has developed a Research Identity Verification Framework, released for community review. In an interview with Retraction Watch, Hylke Koers, Chief Information Officer at STM, shared how the framework could be used by journals and institutions to verify the identity of researchers.
Why is the framework needed?
Currently, publishers rely on time-consuming manual checks to validate the identity of contributors such as authors, peer reviewers, or guest editors. These processes do not match the speed and organisation of fraudulent networks. Part of the problem lies in the ease with which untraceable digital identities can be created and used to manipulate key parts of the publishing pipeline, for example, suggesting a fake reviewer. New approaches are needed to tackle this growing issue.
How will the framework be used?
The framework introduces a layered, systemic method of identity verification. Suggested methods include asking individuals to:
- validate an institutional email address
- sign in via ORCiD or use ORCiD Trust Markers
- provide a government document, such a passport or driving licence.
Koers notes that implementing these checks would make impersonation or identity theft more difficult and improve accountability, while multiple options for verification retain accessibility. Publishers are advised to assess the level of risk, asking “how confident can we be that this person is who they claim to be, and that the information they’ve provided is genuine?”.
“Implementing these checks would make impersonation or identity theft more difficult and improve accountability”
What are the next steps?
The success of the Research Identity Verification Framework will rely on widespread adoption. The STM plans to collaborate with early adopters to develop practical implementation pathways and refine future recommendations.
Koers notes that ultimately, no framework can eliminate all fraud, but making it more difficult to act fraudulently and easier to trace and respond to publishing misconduct should have a positive impact.
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