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My 2cents about China and their scientific paper mill: Massive fabrication of papers?
there is a trend in my #RNA field I've seen in the last couple of years
1/n
cc @MicrobiomDigest @RetractionWatch @Thatsregrettab1
#RNA #PeerReview #microRNA #Science
there is a trend in my #RNA field I've seen in the last couple of years
1/n
cc @MicrobiomDigest @RetractionWatch @Thatsregrettab1
#RNA #PeerReview #microRNA #Science
Part of my work is on RNA: some of them, linear, micro, longnoncoding, circular, and how the relate to each other.
The field is fascinating and mostly unknown. There are a ton of lncRNA and circRNA, but science dont have any clue about what they do for most of them.
2/n
The field is fascinating and mostly unknown. There are a ton of lncRNA and circRNA, but science dont have any clue about what they do for most of them.
2/n
Science also run out of names for so many of them, so we know have to deal with a funny short general name plus a number to ID most of them. Thats sometimes make it more complicated to deal with.
But in some way it is also an invitation for scientific
fraud
3/n
But in some way it is also an invitation for scientific
fraud3/n
Now, I have seen in the past years and increasing number of papers coming from #China that bothers me and many scientists. All of them have more or less the same format, having this sort of title and idea: "mir-XXX targets lncRNA-yyy preventing cell cycle in cancer-ZZZ".
4/n
4/n
May change the order, sometimes they also add a circRNA somewhere around. But there is pattern there.
Last January a blog call my attention. If interested, take some time to read about #PaperFabricationInChina
https://forbetterscience.com/2020/01/24/the-full-service-paper-mill-and-its-chinese-customers/
5/n
cc @schneiderleonid
Last January a blog call my attention. If interested, take some time to read about #PaperFabricationInChina
https://forbetterscience.com/2020/01/24/the-full-service-paper-mill-and-its-chinese-customers/
5/n
cc @schneiderleonid
These two post really upset me in the last months.
But its time to write a paper and to review what is published, and RNAs looks their favourite spice.
And it is annoying to see so many peer review papers that you just can't believe.
TOO MANY
So I look for data
6/n
But its time to write a paper and to review what is published, and RNAs looks their favourite spice.
And it is annoying to see so many peer review papers that you just can't believe.
TOO MANY
So I look for data
6/n
I went to pubmed publications in the past 10 yrs and search for
microRNA AND lncRNA AND cancer AND whatever_country_you_want[ad].
As expected, china has got a huge, disproportionate interest in the field.
7/n
![I went to pubmed publications in the past 10 yrs and search for microRNA AND lncRNA AND cancer AND whatever_country_you_want[ad]. As expected, china has got a huge, disproportionate interest in the field.7/n](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EbeTTBHXQAMLXAX.jpg "I went to pubmed publications in the past 10 yrs and search for microRNA AND lncRNA AND cancer AND whatever_country_you_want[ad]. As expected, china has got a huge, disproportionate interest in the field.7/n")
microRNA AND lncRNA AND cancer AND whatever_country_you_want[ad].
As expected, china has got a huge, disproportionate interest in the field.
7/n
Ok, let's be fair.
I adjust this number by all cancer publications by country.
This is really a lot. Around 2% of cancer-related publications coming from China are about microRNA/lncRNA!!
8/n
I adjust this number by all cancer publications by country.
This is really a lot. Around 2% of cancer-related publications coming from China are about microRNA/lncRNA!!
8/n
Ok, you can say that China published more than the rest of the countries. So lets adjust it by the total number of publications.
Still wow
Moreover, it's clear that the problem started 2017-18
9/n
Still wow
Moreover, it's clear that the problem started 2017-18
9/n
Bonustrack
let take a look to circRNAs. Same stuff.
10/n
let take a look to circRNAs. Same stuff.
10/n
(I made a similar search in biorxiv.
It's hard there, you don't hace a field for easy targeting the country of origin.
But looks like there is no difference beteween countries. And it make sense: preprints are not always considered in many universities for promotions)
It's hard there, you don't hace a field for easy targeting the country of origin.
But looks like there is no difference beteween countries. And it make sense: preprints are not always considered in many universities for promotions)
Ok, don't have time to make a more formal and complete analysis. But for me it enough to have some thoughts:
1/Don't trust any paper on these subjects coming from China.
Yes, I know that there are honest people there trying to make science, but what can I do.
11/n
1/Don't trust any paper on these subjects coming from China.
Yes, I know that there are honest people there trying to make science, but what can I do.
11/n
2/How far this pattern extend to other areas?
Well, we don't know. This field has been targeted probably because the easiness to invent data: pick up a name, sounding experiments, peer review doesnt suspect, nobody will ever check if findings are true.
12/n
Well, we don't know. This field has been targeted probably because the easiness to invent data: pick up a name, sounding experiments, peer review doesnt suspect, nobody will ever check if findings are true.
12/n
But recently @MicrobiomDigest pointed out a paper on Covid19 with serious inconsistencies, and there you are, coming from China.
13/n
13/n
3/ Investigators, editors and reviewers should be well aware of this situation (I guess they are, yes, too naïve from my side...)
We just can trust on these papers. And there are too many of them. Please share it #ForBetterScience
14/14
#RNA #PeerReview #microRNA #Science
We just can trust on these papers. And there are too many of them. Please share it #ForBetterScience
14/14
#RNA #PeerReview #microRNA #Science
