Stopping paper mills: practical strategies to protect research integrity
Tue, May 12, 2026 2:00 PM BST
Paper mills are no longer a marginal issue. They are operating at scale – producing fraudulent research that is increasingly difficult to detect and increasingly costly to address.
For publishers, this creates direct pressure on editorial workflows and reputation. For researchers, it undermines trust in the scholarly record. For librarians, it raises questions about the reliability and integrity of the content they provide access to.
This webinar focuses on one question: how do we actually combat paper mills?
Bringing together perspectives from research integrity initiatives, analytics providers, and workflow specialists, this session will explore what is working today – and where further action is needed.
What You’ll Learn
• How paper mills operate and why they have scaled so rapidly
• The most reliable signals for identifying suspicious research
• Where current editorial and research workflows remain vulnerable
• What practical interventions look like in publishing and research environments
• How different stakeholders can contribute to a more effective, coordinated response
SPEAKERS:
Lisa Hinchliffe
Co-chair of United2Act Against Paper Mills and Professor and Coordinator for Research Professional Development at University of Illinois
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-janicke-hinchliffe-3244b73
Leslie McIntosh
VP Research Integrity at Digital Science
Dr Leslie McIntosh PhD, MPH is the VP of Research Integrity at Digital Science and dedicates her work to improving research and investigating and reducing misinformation and disinformation in science.
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/leslie-mcintosh
Adam Day
Founder/CEO of Clear Skies
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/clearskiesadam
MODERATOR:
Tim Gillett, editor, Research Information
Who should attend
• Publishers: editorial, integrity, and publishing strategy teams
• Researchers: authors, research leaders, and research office professionals
• Librarians: collection development, scholarly communications, and research support roles
Format
60-minute live session
• Expert perspectives from each speaker
• Moderated panel discussion
• Audience Q&A
SPONSORS:
Digital Science was launched in 2010 by members of the research community with a bold mission: to revolutionize the way science is done. We’ve emphasised a community-driven approach right from the start, actively listening to our community’s needs and shaping our offerings based on their real-world challenges.
From tracking research impact to supporting open research and data sharing, mapping the research landscape, enabling collaboration, and providing deep insights, analysis, and discovery, Digital Science has grown into a powerhouse of innovation, supporting every corner of the research ecosystem.
Today, one of our strongest areas of growth is industry, as we leverage our technology and the power of AI to help enterprises work smarter, collaborate better, and push the boundaries of discovery.
www.digital-science.com
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