In the past seven years, global research output has skyrocketed by nearly 50%, with a staggering 2.8 million new studies published in 2022 alone. However, concerns are growing about the potential oversight of crucial findings amid this deluge.
Dag W. Aksnes, a researcher at the Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research, and Education (NIFU), attributes the surge to a substantial increase in the number of researchers worldwide. The EU saw a rise of several hundred thousand researchers from 2013 to 2021, while China alone added one million researchers during the same period.
Aksnes, who had previously warned about the risk of burying significant results among less vital publications, now emphasizes the intensified nature of the problem. Even within narrower fields, researchers find it challenging to navigate the overwhelming volume of new studies. In Norway alone, 29,000 new studies were published last year, marking a notable 49% increase from 2013 to 2021.
International collaboration contributes significantly to the rise in Norwegian publications. With researchers from various countries working together on scientific articles, these articles are counted in the statistics of each contributing country. However, Aksnes suggests that when considering the researchers' contributions, the increase in Norwegian publications aligns closely with the growth in the number of researchers.
Concerns about research quality and trust are also raised by a group of British and Spanish researchers. Peer review, a crucial process ensuring the correctness of scientific articles, is highlighted as essential for maintaining confidence in science. The study reveals concerns that some publishers, including Multidisciplinary Publishing Institute (MDPI) and Elsevier, may be taking peer review too lightly, potentially impacting the overall reputation of research.
MDPI alone is responsible for 27% of the growth in international publications since 2016, with their quick publication turnover time of only 37 days. However, critics argue that such expedited processes may compromise the quality of research. Additionally, the changing business model of publishers, where researchers are charged for publishing, raises questions about the prioritization of profit over thorough quality control.
Dag Aksnes expresses concern about this shift, noting that it often costs tens of thousands of Norwegian kroner for researchers to publish a small article in a journal. As the research landscape evolves, the balance between quantity and quality becomes a pressing issue that researchers and publishers must navigate carefully.
