Forensic Scientometrics -- An emerging discipline to protect the scholarly record

TL;DR

Forensic Scientometrics (FoSci) is an emerging discipline that combines scientometric methods with ethics to safeguard scientific integrity against misconduct, paper mills, and predatory publishing, ensuring trust in scholarly communication.

Contribution

This paper introduces Forensic Scientometrics as a new interdisciplinary field addressing research integrity and security through innovative integration of scientometrics and ethics.

Findings

FoSci aims to combat paper mills and misconduct.

It emphasizes the importance of ethical scientometric analysis.

The discipline seeks official recognition and stakeholder support.

Abstract

Forensic Scientometrics (FoSci) is emerging as a vital discipline at the intersection of scientific integrity and security. Scholarship and scholarly communication are critical for maintaining scientific integrity, influencing public trust in science, health, technology, policy, and law. Yet, these foundations are threatened by the misuse of scientific research for personal, commercial, ideological, and geopolitical gains, including questionable practices and misconduct. The rise of paper mills and predatory publishers, along with ideological and geopolitical motivations, undermines academic integrity. This field pioneers the integration of traditional scientometric methods with ethics to address pressing challenges in research integrity and security, crucial in an era of heightened scrutiny over science's reliability. FoSci's development signifies a collective commitment to maintaining scientific trust, marked by a call for official recognition and support from stakeholders across the scientific ecosystem.