SPIE and IS&T, co-publishers of the Journal of Electronic Imaging (JEI), have jointly announced the retraction of nearly 80 papers published in the journal due to compromised peer review. These retractions stem from papers originally published in special sections overseen by guest editors between 2021 and 2023. While twenty retractions will occur this week, dozens more are expected to follow in the coming months.
During their investigation, the publishers uncovered extensive evidence of large-scale manipulation of the peer review process. This included the presence of fake reviewer accounts, repeated reviewers, and generic reviewer reports across various special sections. Furthermore, numerous out-of-scope papers were found to have been published within these special sections.
A committee comprising subject-matter experts and senior editorial leadership meticulously re-evaluated the papers published in these special sections. They identified numerous instances of poorly designed experiments, outdated references, indications of AI-generated language, and limited datasets. Combined with the compromised peer review process, these issues led to the recommendation for the retraction of a significant number of papers from JEI. All authors have been notified and provided the opportunity to appeal, following standard procedure. Once the appeal window closes, the retractions will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines outlined by COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) and SPIE's publication ethics policies.
The SPIE Publications Ethics Subcommittee and IS&T VP of Publications will review the appeals and recommend appropriate sanctions for the guest editors responsible for the misconduct.
Both SPIE and IS&T maintain stringent policies regarding publication ethics and unequivocally condemn fraudulent publication activities. The retractions are viewed as crucial corrections to the scientific literature, and the societies express regret for any negative consequences these papers may have had on the imaging research community.
These revelations have prompted several crucial changes to peer review and related workflows. These include enhanced screening of special section proposals and guest editors, improved special section management to ensure greater transparency and oversight of the peer review process, and the implementation of advanced technical tracking and alerts to identify unusual reviewer behavior.
Click here to read the original press release.
