A crisis in numbers: the scale of scientific misconduct today
At CYPHER’s third general meeting, data scientist Lonni Besançon presented an overview of the current state of research integrity – and with it, a concerning picture of what can be at stake in 2026.
Scientific publishing has seen a sharp rise in documented misconduct. In 2023 alone, according to Nature, 10,000 papers were retracted worldwide. Roughly two-thirds of those retractions were attributed not to honest error, but to deliberate misconduct: falsified data, manipulated images, and fraudulent peer reviews.
From pandemic pressure to systemic failure: how malpractice spreads
Lonni Besançon, Assistant Professor of Visualization at Linköping University, Sweden, turned into a research-integrity detective in the midst of 2020 when he started noticing a pattern, and a tension emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic context: as the pace of publishing and ‘preprints’ accelerated, the infrastructure of peer review and publishing processes came under significant strain.
Indeed, the conditions of the pandemics generated a pressure to publish quickly with reduced oversight, leading to a flood of submissions. This conjuncture created fertile ground for malpractice to spread, which went on to influence heavily several national policies on lockdown, vaccines, and pandemic management overall – with the hydrochloroquine debacle as a telling example and one of Besançon’s most mediatic finds, brought to light with a team of engaged researchers.
The types of problems Besançon and his colleagues have identified are varied, from ghost and zombie citations, tortured phrases, fabricated datasets, and conflicts of interest that go completely undisclosed. These issues are not confined to a handful of journals or fields; they are, by the evidence, widespread. AI has since added a new layer of complexity; and tools now being used to assist with writing and peer review can, when misused or trusted uncritically, undermine the very processes they are meant to support.
Integrity as a practical necessity: tools, responsibilities, and what comes next
Research integrity as an issue seems to be moving from a philosophical concern to a practical necessity, and it is clear now that the downstream effects are very concrete. Because science builds on prior work, a flawed or fraudulent paper does not simply disappear when retracted; it leaves behind citations already embedded in other studies. The chains of dependency, in all research fields, lead to direct consequences on innovation, equipment, protocols or safety measures.
While many tools do exist to help, such as Pubpeer, Lonni Besançon reminded that critical thinking and attention to details and processes are still one of the most effective checks available. A good reminder for new researchers entering the field, as stated by Prof. Alessandro Parente, co-organiser of the conference:
“As the next generation of researchers, your integrity is your most valuable currency. You are entering a field where the pressure to publish is immense, and the temptation to cut corners is everywhere. This is not about scaring you; it’s about arming you. It’s about giving you the tools to spot bad science and the principles to ensure that when you put your name on a paper, the world can trust it.”
Yet, the broader question of systemic causes, and with it the questioning of the structure of academic publishing itself and the career incentive to publish frequently, remains quite open. With the growing mediatisation of research integrity and the light shewn at the real-life consequences, a systemic response might end up being needed sooner rather than later, from universities, publishers, or institutions.
This lecture was organised by Benedetta Franzelli and Alessandro Parente as part of the 3rd General Meeting of the CYPHER COST Action, held on 8 May 2026 at Istanbul Technical University.
The organisers would like to thank Lonni Besançon and everyone who contributed to the success of the lecture and the meeting.
