{"id":37680,"date":"2025-07-01T02:55:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T01:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stm-assoc.org\/?p=37680"},"modified":"2025-07-15T11:50:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T10:50:21","slug":"stm-commissions-study-to-explore-how-publishers-support-research-integrity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stm-assoc.org\/stm-commissions-study-to-explore-how-publishers-support-research-integrity\/","title":{"rendered":"STM commissions study to explore how publishers support research integrity\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Research communications today face growing, coordinated threats to their integrity\u2014from paper mills and manipulated peer review to systemic pressures that can compromise trust.<\/strong> In response, STM\u2019s Research Integrity Committee<\/a> has commissioned Research Consulting to map how publishing organisations across the sector are working to safeguard the scholarly record<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n

In recent years, publishers have retracted thousands of articles (source:\u00a0Retraction Watch Database<\/a>), citing issues that range from honest error to deliberate misconduct. Strengthening research integrity has become an urgent, system-wide priority.<\/p>\n

Governments, funders, and academic institutions have introduced measures to support integrity\u2014such as transparency requirements and the use of persistent identifiers like ORCID.<\/p>\n

Understanding the role of publishers in this broader ecosystem is essential for developing coordinated responses. Faced with a rise in bad actors, publishers have adopted a range of strategies.\u00a0 Industry-wide initiatives such as the\u00a0STM Integrity Hub<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0United2Act<\/a>\u00a0are taking practical and collaborative steps to address the drivers of research integrity misconduct.<\/p>\n

Why this research matters\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

While some publishers have made their approaches visible, many efforts remain within professional circles. As a result, there is no sector-wide overview of publisher-supported practices, limiting opportunities to identify what works and address gaps.\u00a0The publishing community \u2013 including the full spectrum of commercial publishers, non-profit publishers, university presses and more \u2013 is especially interested in understanding how best to collaborate with other stakeholders to protect the integrity of the scholarly record.\u00a0 This project aims to map integrity practices across different types of publishing organisations, whether directly led or as collaboration across publishers or with other stakeholders.<\/strong> The research will examine both established protocols adopted sector-wide and approaches to implementation that may be specific to certain disciplines or types of publishers.<\/p>\n

Methodology and scope\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Research Consulting will combine desk research with interviews\u00a0of publisher Research Integrity leads. The study will explore strategic drivers but also practical aspects, including:<\/p>\n