JOINNew digital identity framework aims to strengthen research integrity in scholarly publishing
A new framework aimed at strengthening research integrity in scholarly publishing is being released today for community consultation. The Researcher Identity Verification Framework proposes proportionate and inclusive measures to verify researcher identities, helping to combat fraud, reduce paper mill activity, and protect the integrity of the academic record.
For centuries, academic publishing has operated on a foundation of trust, with an implicit assumption that individuals engaging with an academic journal do so in good faith and within established norms and practices. Traditionally, only an email address has been required to submit a paper for publication, act as a peer reviewer, or join an editorial board. However, a rising number of mass retractions attributed to fraudulence, and research integrity breaches—driven by fraudulent actors and organized paper mills—illustrate vulnerabilities in this approach. Paper mills and dishonest individuals have been able to subvert these processes for financial or reputational gain, risking pollution of the scholarly record and leading to a steep increase in retractions. The result is a growing gap between the level of trust editorial systems require and what researchers can easily provide.
This report, which builds on earlier work presented last year, proposes a Researcher Identity Trust Framework aimed at enhancing the integrity of editorial processes through proportionate and inclusive verification measures. By assessing risk levels, offering a diverse range of verification methods, evaluating trust consistently, taking appropriate actions based on trust assessments, and implementing feedback mechanisms, the framework seeks to balance the need for security with the imperative of inclusivity.
Key recommendations emphasise the use of existing identity infrastructures, such as institutional identity providers and ORCID trust markers, to verify researchers’ identities and academic legitimacy. The framework also underscores the importance of offering alternative verification routes to ensure that legitimate researchers are not excluded due to varying access to verification methods.
Access the Researcher Identity Verification Framework here.
This report is released as a draft for community consultation and will form the basis of further work. We welcome feedback through this form or by emailing Richard at richard@stm-solutions.org
And join us live to explore these recommendations more deeply at the “The how and why of who is who: Recommendations for trusted identity in academic publishing” expert panel at the STM US Conference in DC on April 2-3. We hope to see you there!