China is facing a rampant problem of academic paper fraud. A paper published by two gynecologists from the Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Fujian Provincial People’s Hospital) claimed that in 100 cases of endometriosis, 64% of the patients were male, sparking concerns over academic fraud once again.
According to the report by China’s state-run media CCTV Net on September 29, in the medical industry, it has become common practice to hire someone to write and publish academic papers for a fee. Searching for “medical journal ghostwriting” on social media yields dozens of results. A reporter contacted a “thesis consultation” service, where they inquired about the theme and journal level for ghostwriting and received a quotation, stating, “Price includes writing only, not publication. If you want it published, the price will be higher.”
A “thesis ghostwriter” assured that “all medical-related papers can be written, solely by manual work, not AI-generated. The rate is 80 RMB per thousand words for regular journals, starting at 5000 RMB for an SCI paper.”
Earlier this year, the prestigious international journal Nature released a study analyzing the academic paper retraction rates of institutions worldwide over the past decade.
The data revealed that from 2014 to 2024, Jining First People’s Hospital in Shandong Province had the highest global retraction rate exceeding 5%. Among the top ten institutions globally in terms of retraction rates, seven were from China, including Cangzhou Central Hospital, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, and Weifang People’s Hospital.
The study cited an analysis by the UK Academic Integrity Company, stating that of the 136 institutions with retraction rates exceeding 1%, about 70% were from China, of which around 60% were hospitals or medical schools.
Reports indicate that just this year, China’s National Natural Science Foundation Commission has exposed multiple cases of medical research misconduct involving data trading, image alteration, and content errors. For instance, discrepancies were found in obstetrics and gynecology papers published by institutions like Qilu Hospital of Shandong University and Fushun Central Hospital, with errors such as “male uterine fibroid patients” and “male high-risk pregnant women”. Furthermore, a paper from Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated hospital showed that out of 100 gynecological samples, 64 were male.
The news quickly trended on Baidu search.
Netizens expressed concerns, stating, “Even doctors who heal the sick are resorting to falsification in research papers. This is not just academic misconduct but also playing with patients’ trust and health. Can we still trust hospitals in the future?” Some questioned why medical research papers have become a hotspot for fraud and why healthcare professionals are willing to pay a high price for publication. They urged the public not to solely rely on “research-backed” treatments and to consult with doctors about symptoms and test results, emphasizing the importance of seeking multiple opinions when it comes to health, as the body is not an experiment.
Some netizens shared personal experiences, highlighting the pressures faced by doctors to publish papers for career advancement, even if they lack expertise in academic writing.
The challenge in the medical industry lies in balancing research and clinical practice. Some doctors immerse themselves in laboratory experiments, neglecting clinical skills, while others focus only on outpatient clinics and surgeries, lacking knowledge of new therapies and medications. The ideal scenario should involve complementing these two aspects, rather than pitting them against each other due to practical constraints.
Previously, Dr. Zheng Jie, a medical PhD from the University of Tokyo and a political commentator, stated to The Epoch Times that China’s issue of academic paper fraud is well-known globally, extending beyond the computer industry to various sectors. He attributed this problem to the Communist regime’s foundation built on falsehoods and coercing the Chinese people to engage in fraudulent activities for survival.
Publishing academic papers is a crucial criterion for researchers in institutions such as Chinese universities, hospitals, and research institutes for career advancement. For example, in August 2020, the Beijing Health Bureau stipulated that to be promoted from attending physician to deputy chief physician, one must publish at least two papers as the first author in professional journals, while promotion to chief physician requires three papers.
Unfortunately, some scholars, particularly medical professionals, lack the time or capability to conduct research and write papers. To meet promotion requirements, they resort to purchasing papers at exorbitant prices through the “academic black market.”