Addressing Scientific Misconduct in Dental Publications: From Predatory Journal to Artificial Intelligence Misuse

Scientific misconduct and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) pose significant threats to the integrity of academic research, particularly in the field of dental publications. This paper provides a comprehensive review of various forms of malpractice, including citation doping, the proliferation of predatory journals, inappropriate citation requests, and the unethical application of AI in research and publication processes. These malpractices undermine the credibility and reliability of scientific outputs, compromising the advancement of knowledge and evidence-based practices. This review highlights the impact of citation doping, a practice where authors manipulate citation counts to enhance their academic profiles unethically. Additionally, the rise of predatory journals, which prioritize profit over scholarly integrity, is discussed. Inappropriate citation requests, where authors are pressured to include unnecessary citations to inflate the impact factors of certain journals, are examined for their detrimental effects on research quality. The misuse of AI, including the generation of fraudulent data and plagiarism, is critically analyzed. By drawing on international guidelines and best practices, this paper proposes a robust framework to promote ethical research and publication practices. The measures recommended aim to enhance the quality and credibility of research in the dental field, ensuring that scientific contributions are both trustworthy and valuable.

Scientific integrity is the cornerstone of academic research, yet recent trends have highlighted significant issues of misconduct within the field of dental publications. These malpractices include citation doping, the use of non-peer-reviewed journals, predatory publishing, and the emerging misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in research processes. This paper aims to discuss these issues, summarize expert interventions, and propose a set of guidelines to combat scientific misconduct and AI misuse.