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Academic misconduct and criminal liability: Manipulating academic journal impact factors

Author

Listed:
  • Charles F Hickman
  • Eric A Fong
  • Allen W Wilhite
  • Yeolan Lee

Abstract

Although initially created to help libraries determine which journals to include in their catalog, impact factors have become one of the most utilized measures of journal ranking and they are increasingly used for performance evaluations, tenure, promotion, and research grant decisions. It is also a measure that some editors manipulate and this manuscript questions the legality of that manipulation. Because impact factor manipulation distorts information on journal rankings, and since that information is used to make resource allocation decisions that affect the dispersion of federal funds, that distortion violates the False Statements Act. This deception is widespread; impact factor manipulation has been documented in journals across academia. Moreover, if editors coerce authors to add citations, then they may be putting those authors at legal risk as well. Following our argument that impact factor manipulation is illegal, we propose policy measures aimed at curbing the use of such manipulative strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles F Hickman & Eric A Fong & Allen W Wilhite & Yeolan Lee, 2019. "Academic misconduct and criminal liability: Manipulating academic journal impact factors," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 46(5), pages 661-667.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:scippl:v:46:y:2019:i:5:p:661-667.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/scipol/scz019
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Stewart Manley, 2022. "Letters to the editor and the race for publication metrics," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 73(5), pages 702-707, May.
    2. Siler, Kyle & Larivière, Vincent, 2022. "Who games metrics and rankings? Institutional niches and journal impact factor inflation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    3. Fong, Eric A. & Patnayakuni, Ravi & Wilhite, Allen W., 2023. "Accommodating coercion: Authors, editors, and citations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(5).

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