bims-evares Biomed News
on Evaluation of research
Issue of 2026–11–01
twenty papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society
  1. Trends in Female Authorship in Major Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Journals: 1980 to 2026.
  2. Analyzing retracted papers in the field of pathology on the Web of Science database.
  3. Gender disparities on the editorial boards of high-impact Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine journals.
  4. Regional disparities and scientific collaboration in Brazilian surgical research: a national bibliometric study.
  5. Re: Concerns regarding institutional omission in bibliometric analysis of PubMed-indexed cardiothoracic surgical research in India (IJTC-D-26-00346).
  6. From Contributors to First Authors: Medical Student Authorship in Plastic Surgery, 2010-2025.
  7. Ten-year analysis of publications by Quebec hospital pharmacists.
  8. Concerns regarding institutional omission in bibliometric analysis of PubMed-indexed cardiothoracic surgical research in India.
  9. Not all metrics are equal: A guide to journal impact factor, CiteScore, and quartile rankings.
  10. BJA Education: the 25 most cited articles.
  11. Journal impact factors and the structure of the nursing journal ecosystem.
  12. Academic Attributes and Institutional Characteristics of U.S. Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Residency Program Directors.
  13. Disparities in Editorial Leadership of Highly Cited Cardiology Journals by Gender and Country Income Classification.
  14. The Current State of Primary Clinical Spine Disease Research in Sub-Saharan Africa - A Scoping Review.
  15. Shifts in Scholarly Productivity Following Implementation of USMLE Step 1 Pass/Fail Reporting: Implications for General Surgery Residency Application.
  16. AI-hallucinated citations should be treated as research misconduct.
  17. Are dinosaur fossils hogging top journals? Analysis sparks debate over 'charismatic' finds.
  18. Evaluation of possibly fabricated references in 500,000 science, engineering, and computing papers.
  19. Research Collaborations with Academia in the Polymer and Chemical IndustryPolicies and Practices.
  20. Female leadership across ophthalmology subspecialties: a cross-sectional study of academic leadership roles.
  1. Foot Ankle Clin. 2026 Dec;pii: S1083-7515(26)00046-X. [Epub ahead of print]31(4): 571-580
    Trends in Female Authorship in Major Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Journals: 1980 to 2026.
    Devika A Shenoy, Anna Bryniarski, Elizabeth Durante, Elizabeth R Blackwood, Cesar De Cesar Netto.
      Academic productivity and authorship position mark career advancement in orthopedic surgery, yet women remain underrepresented in senior academic roles in foot and ankle surgery. This narrative synthesis draws on a bibliometric analysis of 19,795 articles published from 1980 to 2026 across 7 major foot and ankle journals, with gender assigned using genderize.io. Among 78,407 authors, women held 16.5% of authorship positions: 19.1% of middle, 15.1% of first, and 12.1% of senior positions. Female first authorship rose steadily (annual odds ratio, 1.037; 95% CI, 1.032-1.042) in every journal, while senior authorship grew far more slowly (1.008; 95% CI, 1.003-1.013).
    Keywords:  Academic productivity; Bibliometric analysis; Female authorship; Gender disparity; Senior authorship; Women in foot and ankle surgery; Women in orthopedics; Women in surgery
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcl.2026.08.004
  2. Virchows Arch. 2026 Oct 26.
    Analyzing retracted papers in the field of pathology on the Web of Science database.
    İsmail Harmankaya, Erhan Kaya.
      Within the medical sciences, pathology, like the trunk of a tree, holds an integral position between basic and clinical sciences. The treatment of many diseases can be subject to change based on current literature. Therefore, the accuracy and reliability of published pathology articles are crucial. Intervention is essential to prevent disinformation in the scientific literature and eliminate erroneous information. These interventions may require some corrections or the complete retraction of the article from the scientific record. In our study, document type filters were performed using "retraction, retracted publication, withdrawn publication" in the "Pathology" category in the Web of Science database. Within the total of 680,390 papers in the Pathology category, 546 papers matching the retracted publication filter were found. After removing duplicates, 367 papers were analyzed. When journal distribution was examined, the highest number of retractions was seen in Disease Markers (n = 114, 31.06%). A country-level analysis revealed that the majority of retracted articles originated from China (n = 255, 69.48%). Our study found that the highest number of retractions were due to data-related concerns and errors (218 articles). Even though a retracted publication is made inaccessible, articles citing the retracted publication remain online. We believe the length of time retracted articles remain online and the number of citations they receive are alarming. Developing a mechanism within the scientific community that can identify errors earlier could prevent the spread of erroneous information.
    Keywords:  Author; Editor; Journal; Pathology; Retracted articles; Web of Science; Withdrawn
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-026-04751-4
  3. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2026 Nov 01. 31(6): e813-e819
    Gender disparities on the editorial boards of high-impact Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine journals.
    J-P-S Nascimento, L-M Ferreira, A-L Araújo, S Trezena, D-R Martelli, M-D Martins, C-I Rodrigues-Fernandes, H Martelli-Júnior.
       BACKGROUND: Gender disparities in academia remain a significant concern. This study aims to evaluate gender inequality in leadership positions within the editorial boards of most prestigious Oral Pathology/Medicine journals.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in November and December 2024. Six journals were selected based on the Top 100 highest impact factor journals in the Journal Citation Reports: Head and Neck Pathology, Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, Medicina Oral, Patología Oral y Cirugía Bucal, Oral Diseases, Oral Oncology, and Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology. Editorial board data were extracted from official journal websites and editors' online profiles (ORCID, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, or institutional websites). Sex was determined based on publicly available information, including photos, pronouns, and biographical data.
    RESULTS: A total of 410 editorial board members were identified, with 68% being male. Women were underrepresented across all journals, ranging from 19.19% to 47.19% of the overall proportion of editorial staff. Among all journals investigated, one woman was found as Editor-in-Chief. Fisher's test associated a lower prevalence of females, especially in Oral Oncology (p=0.002). Women mostly occupied Associate Editor and editorial board member positions, while senior leadership remained predominantly male (PR=0.38, p=0.445). The number of female editorial board members was significantly lower in Asia (p=0.005).
    CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the importance of advancing gender equality in science within Oral Pathology/Medicine. Fostering inclusivity and diversity in academic publishing, journal editorials, and leadership positions is essential to overcoming this challenge.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.28072
  4. Rev Col Bras Cir. 2026 ;pii: S0100-69912026000100632. [Epub ahead of print]53 e2026006226
    Regional disparities and scientific collaboration in Brazilian surgical research: a national bibliometric study.
    Thaís Rocha de Sena, Daniel Nogueira Junqueira, Bruno da Silva Athanasio, Serena Dáfne do Carmo Silva, Filipe Belchior Bessa Zanovello, Jussara Marques de Almeida, Paula Vieira Teixeira Vidigal, Cristiano Xavier Lima.
       INTRODUCTION: To analyse Brazilian scientific production in surgery from a bibliometric perspective, with a particular focus on regional distribution, patterns of scientific collaboration, and the impact of publications in both national and international arenas.
    METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, national, ecological observational study using bibliometric data from the SciVal platform (Elsevier), derived from the Scopus database. The study included full scientific articles with at least one Brazilian affiliation published between 2014 and 2023. We evaluated key bibliometric indicators, including publication volume, national and international collaboration, citation counts, and Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI). Analyses were stratified by geographical region, with indicators normalised by resident population and the total number of medical doctors.
    RESULTS: We identified 14,160 scientific articles in the surgical field, accounting for about 8.5% of Brazilian medical research output. Publication volume grew steadily throughout the decade, followed by a recent stabilisation. Output was heavily concentrated in the Southeast and South regions, which also recorded the highest scientific impact (FWCI up to 0.82) and the greatest integration into international collaboration networks (23%). In contrast, the North region exhibited the lowest output and impact (FWCI = 0.48). International collaboration was consistently associated with superior bibliometric performance. The most frequent research topics included spinal surgery, orthopaedics, hernias, and obesity, with the latter associated with the highest scientific impact (FWCI = 1.80).
    CONCLUSION: Surgical research output in Brazil has shown sustained growth, though it is marked by pronounced regional disparities and a strong dependence on established academic centres and international collaborative networks. Expanding scientific capacity in underrepresented regions and strengthening collaborative strategies with robust national leadership are key priorities for the balanced and sustainable development of surgical research in the country.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-6991e-2026006226-en
  5. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2026 Nov;42(11): 1268-1269
    Re: Concerns regarding institutional omission in bibliometric analysis of PubMed-indexed cardiothoracic surgical research in India (IJTC-D-26-00346).
    Pradeep Narayan, Sufina Shales, Aditya Narsipur Doddamane.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12055-026-02272-y
  6. J Craniofac Surg. 2026 Oct 23.
    From Contributors to First Authors: Medical Student Authorship in Plastic Surgery, 2010-2025.
    Georgios Karamitros, Georgios Bouloukakis, Gregory A Lamaris, Scott D Lifchez, Wesley P Thayer, Galen Perdikis, William C Lineaweaver.
       BACKGROUND: Medical student research productivity has become an increasingly visible signal in plastic surgery residency selection, yet the extent to which students have transitioned from contributors to first authors within the specialty literature remains unclear. We evaluated temporal trends, authorship structure, and institutional concentration of medical student authorship in plastic surgery publications.
    METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of U.S.-affiliated articles published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, PRS Global Open, and Annals of Plastic Surgery from 2010 through 2025. An AI-enabled extraction pipeline identified author credentials, authorship position, institutional affiliation, publication year, and team size. Medical students were classified by bachelor-level credentials without concurrent doctoral-level degrees. Temporal trends in medical student first authorship were evaluated using segmented regression with a prespecified 2018 breakpoint.
    RESULTS: Among 13,723 eligible publications, 4227 (30.8%) included at least one medical student author and 2135 (15.6%) were first-authored by a medical student. Medical student first authorship increased from 58 publications in 2010 (9.5%) to 209 in 2025 (20.9%), peaking at 24.3% in 2022. Mean annual first-author output increased by 143% between the early and late eras (77.8 versus 189.1 publications/year). Segmented regression demonstrated significant post-2018 slope acceleration (P<0.001). Publications with medical student authors had larger teams than those without student involvement (mean, 6.14 versus 4.01 authors; P<0.001). The top 20 institutions accounted for 53.0% of identifiable student first-author publications.
    CONCLUSIONS: Medical student authorship in plastic surgery has undergone marked temporal acceleration, with increasing first-author leadership embedded within larger collaborative teams. Student first authorship may signal merit, but also reflects access to mentorship, infrastructure, and institutional research opportunity.
    Keywords:  Authorship; first authorship; institutional concentration; medical student research; mentorship; plastic surgery; residency selection; scholarly productivity; surgical education
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1097/SCS.0000000000013517
  7. Can Pharm J (Ott). 2026 May-Jun;159(3):159(3): 214-222
    Ten-year analysis of publications by Quebec hospital pharmacists.
    Juliette Mutin, Marine Elluard, Jean-François Bussières.
       BACKGROUND: Scientific publication by pharmacists enhances professional practices, disseminates knowledge, and fosters academic development. The main objective was to describe a 10-year analysis of scientific publications by hospital pharmacists from Quebec.
    METHODS: Eligible publications included articles in indexed or non-indexed journals, abstracts presented at conferences, and books. The publications were identified through various sources, such as the directors of pharmacy departments and a provincial website. Publications were described according to various parameters, and trends per year were evaluated. A Student's t-test was used for comparison.
    RESULTS: A total of 2656 publications were identified, consisting of 1349 articles, 1260 abstracts, and 47 books. Two-thirds (836/1349) of publications were published in indexed journals. Most publications were from a university-affiliated institution (94.7%; 2515/2656) and conducted in a hospital setting (89.0%; 950/1068). Most consisted of evaluative research (66.6%; 1769/2656). Infectious diseases were the most frequent theme (20.6%; 323/1569). The mean number of authors per publication increased from 5.1 ± 3.2 to 7.3 ± 4.5 and was higher in indexed journals (7.4 ± 5.1) compared with non-indexed journals (4.3 ± 3.1) (p < 0.0001). The total number of publications per year was constant.
    DISCUSSION: Most publications were affiliated with a university and relevant to a hospital setting. Future work will be done to facilitate the identification of publications by pharmacists in other settings.
    CONCLUSION: This structured longitudinal review of publications by pharmacists in Quebec revealed that publication activity remained constant over a 10-year period. Hospital pharmacy practice research needs to be further facilitated outside of an academic setting.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3138/cpj-25-0128
  8. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2026 Nov;42(11): 1267
    Concerns regarding institutional omission in bibliometric analysis of PubMed-indexed cardiothoracic surgical research in India.
    Vishal V Bhende.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12055-026-02269-7
  9. Saudi J Anaesth. 2026 Oct-Dec;20(4):20(4): 1021-1022
    Not all metrics are equal: A guide to journal impact factor, CiteScore, and quartile rankings.
    Abhijit Sukumaran Nair, Nitinkumar Borkar, Tuhin Mistry.
      
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4103/sja.sja_521_26
  10. BJA Educ. 2026 Nov;26(11): 445-446
    BJA Education: the 25 most cited articles.
    P Shah, S Fosker, J P Thompson.
      
    Keywords:  Bibliometrics; continuing medical education; journal impact factor
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjae.2026.07.005
  11. Nurs Outlook. 2026 Oct 28. pii: S0029-6554(26)00227-7. [Epub ahead of print]74(6): 102904
    Journal impact factors and the structure of the nursing journal ecosystem.
    Leslie H Nicoll, Mohammed Quazi, Heather Carter-Templeton, Melissa Mastorovich, Marilyn H Oermann.
       BACKGROUND: Journal Impact Factors (JIFs) are widely used to evaluate nursing journals, yet they reflect only a subset of the broader nursing journal ecosystem. Although the number of journals assigned JIFs has increased, the implications of this expansion remain unclear.
    PURPOSE: To examine the structure of the nursing journal ecosystem by comparing journals listed in the Nursing Journals Directory with those indexed in Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and to analyze patterns of change across periods of expansion.
    METHODS: A cross-sectional comparison was conducted using the Nursing Journals Directory and the 2024 JCR nursing category. Longitudinal JIF data were analyzed across three periods: approximately 49 journals (1997-2004), 130 journals (2005-2018), and 199 journals (2019-2024).
    DISCUSSION: The number of nursing journals with JIFs increased substantially from 49 nursing journals between 1997 and 2004 to 194 journals in the 2024 JCR nursing category (199 journals when counting all journals with at least one JIF observation during 2019-2024). Citation patterns were not evenly distributed across journals. Citations were concentrated among a relatively small subset of journals: the top 10% of journals accounted for 29% of total citations. Analysis of publisher distribution indicated substantial concentration among a small number of large commercial publishers. Journals published by Wolters Kluwer, Wiley (including Wiley-Blackwell), Elsevier, and Sage accounted for a disproportionate share of both indexed journals and total citations.
    CONCLUSIONS: The nursing journal ecosystem has expanded substantially, with JIF-indexed journals representing only part of a broader landscape. Changes in JIFs are uneven and occur within a context of structural shifts in indexing and citation systems rather than consistent gains in quality. These findings support a systems-based perspective in which journal quality is shaped by governance, editorial capacity, and mission in addition to citation metrics.
    Keywords:  Citation analysis; Editorial policy; Research evaluation; Scholarly publishing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2026.102904
  12. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2026 Oct 30. 34894261501326
    Academic Attributes and Institutional Characteristics of U.S. Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Residency Program Directors.
    Pooja D Reddy, Brandon Aguilar, Anthony J Tang, Micah Harris, Rachel Whelan, Jessica H Maxwell, Noel Jabbour.
       OBJECTIVE: To characterize the academic attributes and appointment patterns of current U.S. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency program directors (PDs).
    STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis accredited Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency programs in the United States.
    METHODS: One hundred and twenty six U.S. otolaryngology program directors were analyzed. Descriptive data, including academic productivity (publications, H-index), gender, NIH funding, and subspecialties, were collected from publicly available sources.
    RESULTS: We found that 63.5% (80/126) of PDs are male, and nearly half (49.2%; 62/126) completed some training at their current institution, while most were later promoted internally after joining the faculty. Advanced degrees (PhD, MBA, MPH) were held by 18.3% (23/126) and were associated with nearly double the publication output (80.0 vs 40.8 publications; P < .01). External hires accounted for 8.3% (10/120) and trended toward higher H-index values (17.4 vs 12.0, P = .25), total publications (94.9 vs 45.4, P = .226), and NIH funding rates (10.0% vs 2.7%, P = .30) than internal hires. The most common subspecialties were Head & Neck Surgery (20.6%; 26/126) and Rhinology (18.3%; 23/126).
    CONCLUSION: Otolaryngology PDs are often internal hires, with nearly half completing some portion of their training at their current institution. A significant portion of PDs hold additional advanced degrees, which are associated with increased academic productivity. For those considering a career in educational leadership, understanding prevailing academic backgrounds and institutional hiring patterns may help inform career planning.
    Keywords:  H-index; academic promotion; demographics; funding; medical education; otolaryngology; program director; residency
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/00034894261501326
  13. J Am Heart Assoc. 2026 Oct 30. e048190
    Disparities in Editorial Leadership of Highly Cited Cardiology Journals by Gender and Country Income Classification.
    Ricardo J Estrada-Mendizabal, Ruben R Osorio-Godoy, Veronica Saldana-Fraire, Saiyara S Shama, Juan F Rodriguez-Riascos, Lizbeth Romo-De Leon, Judith E Guzman-Garcia, Alfonso J Castillo-Ivon, Patricio Gomez-Orozco, Rosy Thachil, Gayatri Setia, Deborah Reynolds, Ricardo Allende-Carrera.
      
    Keywords:  United Kingdom; cardiology; developing countries; journal impact factor; leadership
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.125.048190
  14. Global Spine J. 2026 Oct 26. 21925682261498667
    The Current State of Primary Clinical Spine Disease Research in Sub-Saharan Africa - A Scoping Review.
    East Africa Spine Trauma Research Group
      Study DesignScoping Review.ObjectiveSpine research is resource-intensive and thus often performed in high-income countries. Consequently, findings may not be generalizable to low-resource areas. This study aimed to assess the current state of primary clinical spine disease research in Sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsAll spine studies published in English or French in Sub-Saharan Africa in the past 50 years with at least ten patients were included. A study quality variable was created that identified randomized studies, prospective studies, and studies that include a control group as having a higher level of scientific rigor.ResultsA total of 154 spine studies have been published from at least 26 countries since 1975 (some included multiple). There was a significant increase in research productivity after 2005 (p<0.001). The highest number of publications came from Nigeria with 52 (34%), followed by Tanzania (25 papers, 16%) and Ethiopia (12 papers, 8%).Nearly half of studies involved collaborative partnerships. On univariate analysis, lower-income countries were more likely to engage in collaboration with other countries (OR 3.2, 95% CI: 1.2-9.8) and to receive external funding (OR 7.0, 95% CI: 2.3-20.4). Further, collaborative studies were found to produce higher quality academic publication (OR 2.0, 95% CI: 0.94-4.2).ConclusionThere is a relative paucity of spine literature from Sub-Saharan Africa. Higher research quality was associated with collaborative engagement. These results support the development of global health partnerships that may foster high-quality research aimed at addressing the burden of spine disease in Africa.
    Keywords:  adolescent; burst fracture; decompression; degenerative; orthopaedic; spinal cord injury; trauma; tumors
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1177/21925682261498667
  15. J Surg Educ. 2026 Sep 22. pii: S1931-7204(26)00351-X. [Epub ahead of print]83(12): 104219
    Shifts in Scholarly Productivity Following Implementation of USMLE Step 1 Pass/Fail Reporting: Implications for General Surgery Residency Application.
    Nathaniel Huhta, Megan Moore, Alain Elian, Saad Shebrain.
       OBJECTIVE: Following the transition of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 from a 3-digit numerical score to pass/fail reporting in January 2022, the emphasis of scholarly productivity on residency applicant selection may have evolved. However, this change remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate changes in research productivity and scholarly activity (primary outcomes), as well as additional academic metrics (secondary outcomes), among general surgery residency applicants after the USMLE scoring.
    DESIGN: This is a retrospective single-institution study comparing Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) applications submitted to an academic general surgery residency program before (Group A: 2015-2021) and after (Group B: 2022-2024) implementation of pass/fail Step 1 reporting. Scholarly activity was categorized as (1) poster and oral presentations, (2) peer-reviewed journal articles and abstracts (published and unpublished), and (3) online publications. Groups were compared using Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables and parametric or nonparametric tests for continuous variables, as appropriate.
    SETTING: General surgery program at a single hybrid academic/community center.
    PARTICIPANTS: A total of 7,458 general surgery residency applicants were included: 5,503 (73.8%) in Group A and 1,955 (26.2%) in Group B.
    RESULTS: Among the 7458 general surgery applicants, 41% were female. Compared with Group A, applicants in Group B demonstrated significantly higher mean numbers of oral and poster presentations (5.44 vs 3.56, p < 0.001), journal articles and abstracts (4.95 vs 2.74, p < 0.001), and online publications (2.09 vs 0.25, p < 0.001). Group B also had higher mean (SD) USMLE Step 2 scores (243 [14] vs 237 [15], p < 0.001).
    CONCLUSIONS: Following the transition to pass/fail Step 1 reporting, general surgery residency applicants demonstrated increased research productivity and higher Step 2 scores, suggesting a potential shift toward strengthening objective academic metrics to maintain competitiveness.
    Keywords:  ERAS applications; general surgery residency; research productivity; scholarly activity
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2026.104219
  16. Nature. 2026 Oct;658(8138): 1356
    AI-hallucinated citations should be treated as research misconduct.
    Jan Pisek, Eve Veromann.
      
    Keywords:  Ethics; Machine learning; Publishing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-03407-2
  17. Nature. 2026 Oct 30.
    Are dinosaur fossils hogging top journals? Analysis sparks debate over 'charismatic' finds.
    Ewen Callaway.
      
    Keywords:  Palaeontology; Publishing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-03512-2
  18. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Nov 03. 123(44): e2623869123
    Evaluation of possibly fabricated references in 500,000 science, engineering, and computing papers.
    Maxim Topaz, Pallavi Gupta, Zhihong Zhang, Laura-Maria Peltonen.
      References to nonexistent studies are well documented in biomedical research, but evidence outside biomedicine is limited. We analyzed a stratified random sample of 500,000 peer-reviewed journal papers in chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering, and computer science published from January 2023 through March 31, 2026, using OpenAlex, a large open index of scholarly works and citations. Our automated pipeline classified 1,135 references across 619 papers as fabricated, with 85.8% precision on masked expert review; fabricated is an operational label for a claimed title that could not be located in any of seven bibliographic and open-web sources. Affected-paper prevalence rose from 1 in 1,600 (6.3 per 10,000) in 2023 to 1 in 435 (23.0 per 10,000) in the first quarter of 2026, and full-period rates differed roughly sixfold across fields, from 25.6 per 10,000 papers in physics to 4.3 in chemistry. Most affected papers contained one or two fabricated references, but the 27 papers containing five or more accounted for more than a third of all fabricated references identified. Applying each field's rate to the approximately 7 million OpenAlex papers indexed in these fields gives an estimated 8,500 papers carrying at least one fabricated reference. Routine automated reference verification at submission, together with retrospective screening of the published literature, can detect fabricated references before and after they enter the scientific record.
    Keywords:  citation errors; citation verification; fabricated references; research integrity; scientific publishing
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2623869123
  19. Polym Sci Technol. 2026 Oct 27. 2(10): 745-748
    Research Collaborations with Academia in the Polymer and Chemical IndustryPolicies and Practices.
    Jens Rieger.
      Collaboration between academia and industry is an important element of innovation in the polymer and chemical industry. This article briefly outlines policies and practices that are important for successful research partnerships, highlighting the strategic value of universities and research institutes as sources of scientific excellence, promising ideas, emerging technologies, and highly qualified talent. It addresses key challenges such as balancing publication and patenting, managing intellectual property, and bridging cultural differences between academic and industrial research environments. Examples of successful collaborations are provided.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1021/polymscitech.6c00098
  20. BMC Med Educ. 2026 Jul 30. pii: 1727. [Epub ahead of print]26(1):
    Female leadership across ophthalmology subspecialties: a cross-sectional study of academic leadership roles.
    Ana M Montoya Zuluaga, Meghan K Berkenstock.
       BACKGROUND: Gender representation in academic leadership varies across medical specialties and leadership roles. This study examined female representation among department chairs and residency program directors across ophthalmology subspecialties in U.S. academic institutions.
    METHODS: Data on department chairs and residency program directors were obtained from the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) and updated to January 1, 2025. Female representation was calculated by determining the proportion of women in leadership roles within department chairs and residency program directors across ophthalmology subspecialties. Chi-square goodness-of-fit and Fisher exact tests were used to evaluate differences in gender representation.
    RESULTS: A total of 117 academic ophthalmology programs were included. Female representation was significantly lower among department chairs (18.8%, p = 0.046) than residency program directors (44.4%, p = 0.752). Gender representation varied across ophthalmology subspecialties, with uveitis being the only subspecialty showing a statistically significant difference among program directors (0%, p = 0.041).
    CONCLUSIONS: Women are significantly underrepresented among ophthalmology department chairs overall. Representation among residency program directors did not differ significantly from expected benchmarks, with the exception of uveitis program directors. Continued efforts are needed to support gender equity in academic ophthalmology leadership.
    Keywords:  Academic leadership; Department chair; Gender representation; Ophthalmology; Residency program director; Subspecialty
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10031-1
This page is being maintained by Thomas Krichel. It was last updated on 2026‒11‒06 at 17:21.