<ul><li>China has become one of the world's most prolific publishers of scientific papers, producing 3.7 million papers in 2021, 23% of global output, and just behind the 4.4 million total from the US.</li><li>The quality of Chinese research has been called into question due to systemic inefficiencies and fraudulent research, including the use of "paper mills" to create fake research papers.</li><li>Pressure to publish and meet performance targets in academia has led to a focus on quantity over quality and increased fraudulent research.</li><li>Weak enforcement of penalties against paper mills has created an institutionalized incentive to cheat in order to meet citation and publication output targets.</li></ul>

China’s 'fake science industry' threatens progress with 'paper mills'

Discover more