Identifying Fake Reviews

Identifying fake peer review can be challenging, as it often involves sophisticated attempts to deceive. However, there are some red flags that can signal that a peer review may be fake.

Red flags for fake peer review:

• The review is overly positive or negative. Fake reviews may be extremely complimentary or harshly critical in an attempt to bias the editorial decision.

• The review is poorly written or contains grammatical errors. Fake reviews may be written by individuals who are not fluent in the language of the submission or who are not familiar with the academic field.

• The review does not address the specific content of the submission. Fake reviews may simply repeat general platitudes or provide irrelevant information.

• The reviewer makes personal attacks or insults. Fake reviews may attempt to discredit the authors or their work by using personal attacks or insults.

• The reviewer does not provide contact information. Fake reviewers may avoid providing contact information to make it difficult to verify their credentials or track them down.

• The reviewer is affiliated with a predatory journal or organization. Predatory journals and organizations are known to engage in fake peer review practices.

Tips for identifying fake peer review:

• Check the reviewer's credentials. Verify that the reviewer is qualified to review the submission by checking their institutional affiliation, publication history, and expertise in the relevant field.

• Check the reviewer's conflict of interest. Check for any conflicts of interest that the reviewer may have, such as a personal or professional relationship with the authors or their institutions.

• Compare the review to other reviews of the submission. If there are multiple reviews, compare them to see if they are consistent in their assessment of the submission.

• Be cautious of reviews that come from unusual sources. Be wary of reviews that come from email addresses or institutions that are not associated with academic research.

• Report suspicious reviews to the journal editor. If you suspect that a peer review is fake, report it to the journal editor so that they can investigate.

In addition to these red flags, there are a number of resources available to help researchers identify fake peer review. These resources include:

• The Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): COPE provides guidance on ethical publishing practices and maintains a list of resources on predatory journals and fake peer review.

• The Retraction Watch blog: Retraction Watch is a blog that tracks retractions of scientific papers and reports on cases of fake peer review.

• Think Twice, Check Once: This website provides a checklist of questions to help researchers identify fake peer review.