STM Solutions, the operational arm of STM, has launched a paper mill detection tool as part of its Integrity Hub. The MVP (minimal viable product) is a web application that can be used to upload submitted journal manuscripts and scan them for pre-identified indications of potential fraud. If any potential issues are noted, the system generates a message alerting the research integrity managers and editors, allowing them to investigate and take action if needed.
The tool is fully consistent with applicable laws and industry best practices, and it fully respects the laws and ethics of submission and data privacy. In its current form, the paper mill detection tool contains internally developed tools as well as external tools and databases.
To ensure the tool is effective, STM Solutions worked with several research integrity specialists and organizations for this release, including PubPeer, Clear Skies, Elisabeth Bik, and Guillaume Cabanac (pro bono). The STM Integrity Hub hopes to deepen and extend its collaboration with research integrity specialists and organizations going forward.
Currently, the MVP is only available to participating publishers in the STM Integrity Hub, but in the future, it will be offered to a wider range of publishers and integrated with submissions systems and other workflow systems. By collaborating with all stakeholders in the scholarly ecosystem, STM Solutions hopes to safeguard research integrity and maintain the quality of scholarly communications.
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